Please ask for: Louise Hawkins Telephone: 01482 613410 Fax: 01482 613110 Email: [email protected] Text phone: 01482 300349 Date: Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Dear Councillor,
People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission
The next meeting of the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission will be held at 10:00 on Thursday, 09 January 2014 in Room 77.
The Agenda for the meeting is attached and reports are enclosed where relevant.
Please Note: It is likely that the public, (including the Press) will be excluded from the meeting during discussions of exempt items since they involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as describe in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.
Yours faithfully,
Democratic Services Officer for the Chief Executive
Page 1 of 116
People and Communities OSC To: Membership: Councillors S Armstrong, J Conner, D Craker, A Dorton, J Fareham, A Gardiner, A Harrison, K Mathieson, R Pantelakis, L Petrini, C Quinn, and C Thomas
Officers: Tracy Harsley, City Safe and Early Intervention Manager Laura Carr, City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager Andy Brown, City Customer Services Manager Andy Burton, City Streetscene Manager Nicky Visser, Partnership Manager CitySafe and Early Intervention Service Cherie Wiles, Scrutiny Officer Louise Hawkins, Democratic Services Officer (x5)
Portfolio Holders: Councillor H Spencer, Portfolio Holder for Prevention and Safeguarding Councillor T Geraghty, Portfolio Holder for Public Health Councillor J Black, Portfolio Holder for Council Infrastructure Councillor J Hewitt, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Communities Councillor M Mancey, Portfolio Holder for Energy City
For Information: Councillor T McVie (Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee) Councillor J Korczak Fields, (Deputy Chair Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee) Julie Franklin, PA to City Safe and Early Intervention Manager Christine Fairbank, PA to City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager Michelle Wray, PA to City Customer Services Manager Julie Ellis, PA to City Streetscene Manager Chief Inspector Rawding (Public Set) Neil Kingston, Office of Police & Crime Commissioner (Public Set) Members’ Information Office (Public Set) Reference Library (Public Set)
Alerts: Chief Executives Office, Kingston upon Hull City Council John Readman, Corporate Director for Adult, Children and Family Services Trish Dalby, Corporate Director for City Services Councillor M Ross, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group Malcolm Stather, Operations Manager Guildhall Reception Garry Taylor Press Office Scrutiny Office Group Secretariats Political Assistant Viking Radio – [email protected] Yorkshire Post – [email protected] & [email protected] & [email protected] Radio Humberside – [email protected] Hull Daily Mail – [email protected] & [email protected] KCFM Radio – [email protected] Page 2 of 116 All Other Elected Members
People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission
10:00 on Thursday, 09 January 2014
Room 77
A G E N D A PROCEDURAL ITEMS
1 Apologies
To receive apologies for those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.
2 Declarations of Interest To remind Members of the need to record the existence and nature of any Personal and Discolseable Pecuniary interest in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Member Code of Conduct.
Members Code of Conduct - Part D1 of the Constitution)
3 Minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2013 5 - 12 To approve the minutes as a true and correct record.
NON-EXEMPT ITEMS
4 City Manager Presentation - Streetscene
To ensure the Commission is up to date in relation to key and current issues.
5 Other Violent Crime Update 13 - 16 To provide the Commission with detail of 'other' violent crime in the city.
6 Department for Work and Pensions Verbal Update To provide an update on the information requested by the Commission in relation to benefit sanctions.
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7 City Plan Anti Poverty Projects 17 - 40 To have an oversight of the current status and outcomes of the recommendations of the Anti-Poverty Task and Finish Panel and to allow officers to bring any issues to Members attention.
8 Housing Benefit Performance 41 - 54 To consider the reasons for the current level of performance, the increase in processing times and how this performance can be improved.
9 Outstanding Action List - January 2014 55 - 56 To review the action outstanding list.
10 City Plan: ‘Making Money Go Further’ – City Farm Feasibility 57 - 116 Study Presentation To allow the Commission to be involved in the practicalities of the proposed plan for a City Farm.
EXEMPT ITEMS
Page 4 of 116 People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission
12 December 2013
PRESENT: - Councillor D.A. Craker (Chair), Councillor C. Quinn (Deputy Chair), Councillor Armstrong, Councillor J. Conner, Councillor A. Dorton, Councillor A.D. Gardiner, Councillor K. Mathieson, Councillor L. Petrini and Councillor C. Thomas, Councillor R. Pantelakis, Councillor J. Abbot (substituting for Councillor J. Fareham), Councillor Kirk (substituting for Councillor Harrison) IN ATTENDANCE: - C. Wiles (Scrutiny Officer) L. Hawkins (Democratic Services Officer) L. Carr (City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager) minutes 46 and 48 A. Brown (City Customer Services Manager) and Lisa Bovill (Welfare Rights Service Manager) minute 47 D. Sharp (Assistant Head of Service – Waste and Open Spaces) minute 50 APOLOGIES: - Councillors Fareham and Harrison
Minute Description/Decision Action No. By/Deadline PROCEDURAL ITEMS 44 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Member’s Information Councillor Pantelakis declared a personal interest in minute Officer 47 insofar as she worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau and Councillor Kirk declared a personal interest in minute 47 insofar as he was a board member of an organisation that supported the homeless.
45 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2013
Agreed – that the minutes of the meeting of this Commission held on Thursday 14 November 2013, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the Chair.
NON-EXEMPT ITEMS 46 CITY MANAGER PRESENTATION – NEIGHBOURHOOD (a-c)City AND HOUSING SERVICES Neighbourhoods and Housing The City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager attended Manager the meeting to give a presentation on current and key issues within Neighbourhood and Housing Services.
The Commission was informed that the Government would Page 5 of 116 be undertaking a review of the National Rent Policy; that currently the formula for calculating local authority owned properties was Retail Price Index plus 0.5%; that it had been proposed that future rents would be capped at the previous year plus the Consumer Price Index plus 1%; that the proposed changes would reduce the income for housing associations of which they would have based their business plans on; that the Government was looking at whether tenants who earned over £60,000 should have to pay more rent than tenants on lower incomes; that this financial year would be the last opportunity that local authorities would have to match the rents of Registered Social Landlords; that the Council was preparing a response to the National Rent Policy review and members were welcome to provide their comments; that the budget for the 2014/15 Capital Programme was £50 million; that the funding would be used to maintain the decent homes standard in council owned stock; that solid wall insulation work would be undertaken to properties were required; that the Council was currently in the tendering process to appoint a partner to deliver the long term ECO programme; that the ECO programme had been extended from 2015 to 2017; that the Empty Home Phase 2 Scheme had provided an additional 102 smaller properties by turning former commercial properties into council owned residential properties; that the Council was looking at low cost loans for owner occupiers of Right to Buy properties so that they could be included within improvement schemes being undertaken, and that the new build on Orchard Park and the relocation of tenants from Preston Road would commence in 2014.
A discussion took place around the Empty Home Phase 2 Scheme and whether former council owned properties in Pearson Park could have been included in the programme and whether there were many of the link bedsits that remained as long term voids.
The City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager explained that the Council had worked with Norfolk Property Services to identify long term empty buildings that could be converted into residential properties; that the properties in Pearson Park had been marketed before the Empty Homes funding had been received; that the improvements to the link bedsits had been successful as there were only 3 of 85 that had not been included within the scheme; that the bedsits were popular with tenants and were receiving 60 bids when being advertised; that there was a demand for smaller properties since the introduction of the social sector size criteria; that the privately owned properties that would be managed and let by the council for ten years using Government funding were very popular and had been receiving 80 bids when being advertised. Page 6 of 116 A discussion took place around evictions and whether any council tenants had been evicted due to the none payment of the social sector size criteria; what was being done to support tenants who were in arrears, and whether court costs were added to the arrears balance if court proceedings were undertaken.
The City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager explained that the Council’s Eviction Policy had been considered by Council and Cabinet and no changes had been made; that the number of evictions from council owned properties was rising but no tenant had been evicted solely because of rent arrears due to the social sector size criteria; that Council staff could provide advice to tenants and would assist with completing forms; that tenants could apply for Discretionary Housing Payments; that court costs were added to rent arrears, and that there would be review of court costs with a view to an increase following the reduction of Government funding.
The Commission went on to discuss a proposal to let flats in Australia House to multiple occupants, including those who had previously been living in hostels, and whether the tenants who lived above and below would be informed of the proposal.
The City Neighbourhoods and Housing Manager explained that the council had been looking at ways of finding tenants for difficult to let flats; that larger flats were receiving fewer bids and there was a risk of letting them to single occupants who could struggle to pay the rent; that the council would look to find an organisation who had experience in managing similar tenancies, and that the Council needed to make best use of its properties.
The Commission was informed that the Council currently had a large amount of unclaimed furniture which had been left in vacated properties; that the furniture was currently stored in garages and ways of recycling and re-using the furniture would be looked at as part of the Garage Project; that the Council had looked at ways of sub-letting unused garden space; that other local authorities had introduced formal arrangements and had amended their tenancy agreements which had been expensive where as other had introduced informal arrangements.
Agreed –
a. that the presentation be noted;
b. that the date which the solid wall insulation work will commence on the BISF properties in Bricknell ward Page 7 of 116 be provided to Councillor Abbott outside of the meeting, and
c. that this Commission receives a quarterly update report on the demand for council housing across the city to be included as part of the City Managers presentation.
Reasons for recommendations -
b. to ensure that ward members are aware of Housing improvement works to be undertaken,
c. to enable the Commission to monitor the demand for council housing in the city and how the Council is able to respond.
47 REVIEW OF HULL ADVICE SERVICE AND DEMAND FOR (a-c)City SPECIALIST ADVICE Customer Services The City Customer Services Manager submitted a briefing Manager note which provided the Commission with an update on the public need for specialist legal advice in relation to social welfare issues following the closure of the Hull Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAC) and the reductions in Legal Aid funding for this area of advice work and to provide information relating to the customer demand on the Hull Advice Service since April 2013, and to highlight the current issues for customers due to limited availability of free specialist advice.
The City Customer Services Manager and the Welfare Rights Service Manager informed the Commission that the Hull Advice Service was now based in the Wilson Centre; that the funding for the service had been halved from the previous year; that there was a nominal budget for specialist advice; that the demand for services was very high and waiting times could be lengthy; that the service had had to close it doors early on occasions because of the length of the queue, and that a debt management company had approached the Council with an offer to provide a triage debt advice service in which the initial service would be free of charge but there would be charges for some services.
The Commission discussed the cost of providing specialist housing legal advice and why private solicitors were being used; that Members had previously requested that more specialist advice was available for the public; whether it was possible to clarify how much money had been spent on specialist advice; who was responsible for deciding whether a case was a priority or emergency; whether the Council signposted the public to other organisations that could Page 8 of 116 provide advice; that debt management companies could not charge for arranging a debt relief order and some did not deal with the resolution of priority debt including rent, fuel and council tax; whether it possible to determine how many council tenants had a debt relief order in place, and whether it was possible to determine the number of successful Mortgage Rescue Scheme applicants.
The City Customer Services Manager and the Welfare Rights Service Manager explained that a solicitor had been used in some cases of specialist housing advice as they had been the only organisation who could provide the service and it was not possible to use the Council’s legal department as there could be conflicts of interest; that the solicitors used charged Legal Aid rates of around £250.00 per case; that the budget for specialist advice was around £40,000; that the Welfare Rights Service Manager currently determined whether a case was a priority or emergency but a process for categorising cases was being developed; that officers were struggling to manage their case loads as some had around 300 open cases and the recommended number was 80; that there were other organisations that could provide advice but the Council needed to ensure that they operated in an agreed framework; that the Citizen’s Advice Bureau was the only organisation in Hull that could set up debt relief orders; that around £15,000 had been spent on emergency cases to date, and that advice about Mortgage Rescue Scheme was provided by the Council in partnership with other organisations.
Agreed -
a. that the briefing note be noted;
b. that a briefing note is circulated to members of this Commission outside of the meeting which provides a breakdown of the Hull Advice Service budget, the number of referrals that have been received, the number of council tenants which have a debt relief order in place, a breakdown of the type of cases that are being dealt with by the service, the number of critical cases that have received funding this year, the number of staff in the advice service, and the number of successful mortgage rescue scheme applicants, and
c. That the Commission does not support the Council referring customers to private debt management companies.
Page 9 of 116 Reasons for recommendations –
b. to ensure that Members of the Commission have up to date information on the demand for the service and to consider whether additional funding is required for specialist advice services, and
c. that the Commission believes it is inappropriate for the Council to refer customers who may already be in financial difficulties to companies who will charge for their services.
48 AREA TEAM REVIEW UPDATE
The City Housing and Neighbourhoods Manager submitted a briefing note which provided an update on the consultation with Area Committees on the review of the role and structures of the Area Teams to identify savings.
Agreed – that the briefing note be noted.
49 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
Agreed – that in accordance with the that, in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public (including the Press) be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business, minute 50, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 as the report contains information relating to the financial business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding that information) and matter relating to staff and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because the information relates to confidential commercial preliminary negotiations that the Local Authority is currently undertaking with third parties.
EXEMPT ITEMS
50 CHANGES TO SPECIFICATIONS FOR GROUNDS City Streetscene MAINTENANCE AND STREET CLEANSING Manager
The City Streetscene Manager submitted a report which sought the Commission’s views on the proposal to reduce the grounds maintenance and street cleansing specification in order that savings could be made which would contribute to the budget reduction requirements.
Agreed - that this Commission supports option 1 of the report, but if this option is not deemed viable, the Commission supports option 2(b) with the amendment that a Page 10 of 116 standards approach is adopted for Grounds Maintenance services.
10.00am – 12.00pm
Published on 23 December 2013
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Page 12 of 116
Briefing Note to the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission 9th January 2014
Subject: ‘Other’ Violent Crime update
Briefing Note of Humberside Police, Superintendent Operations Hull on behalf of the Hull Community Safety Partnership
1. Purpose of the Briefing Note and Summary
To update the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission on the progress of the work to tackle Violent Crime within Hull that falls outside the ‘traditional’ areas of Domestic Violence (DV) and the Night Time Economy (NTE)
2. Background
Violent Crime within Hull accounts for 18% of all crime. Violent crime is considered as either ‘violence with injury’ or ‘violence without injury’ – the split between these two categories is approximately 57:43. Therefore, despite being classified as violence, just under half of all reported violent crime involves no injury whatsoever to the victim. The rules concerning what is classified as Violence are set by the Home Office under the ‘Home Office Counting rules’ the complexities of which are not always easily understood by those outside of the Criminal Justice System and can create a perception that violence is worse than it actually is.
When analysed in a little more detail, violence can be categorised under one of three general headings, these are:
Violence occurring within the NTE, (predominantly Friday/Saturday city centre) which accounts for approximately 20% of all violence
DV, which accounts for another 20% of all violence.
‘Other’ violence which accounts for the remaining 60%
Hull has strong, effective partnership arrangements in place to deal with the first two categories (NTE & DV), recently exampled by recognition of the effective Strength to Change programme designed for perpetrators of violence and the award of Purple Flag accreditation for a safe and vibrant night life.
‘Other’ violence is more problematic, and analysis shows that it occurs over different areas of the city, at different times of the day, on different days of the
Page 13 of 116 week (see appendix A). There are no patterns or trends, making tactical interventions and conventional methods very difficult to apply. All of the research on this subject strongly supports a longer term approach to this category of violence, which aims to deal with the problem via addressing the underlying issues that cause violence in the first instance.
Therefore, a multi agency partnership group has been set up whose aim is to prevent and deter people from committing acts of violence through the development and implementation of a cohesive partnership approach, which will target areas identified through intelligence, information and analysis.
The partnership will seek to:
Make best use of data sharing arrangements and identify trends, patterns and linkages with violent crime through intelligence led methodologies to direct partnership resources to where they will have a positive impact.
Work together to promote responsible attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol, and raise the awareness of the dangers and consequences of drinking to excess.
Reduce the number of first time offenders and re-offending rates by using diversion and restorative based outcomes where appropriate, and seeking to increase knowledge and awareness of alcohol through education and raising awareness.
Work closely as a partnership to provide a well regulated, safe and welcoming night time economy in which people feel safe.
Provide a victim focused service that supports victims and their families, reduces the risk of repeat victimization and protects the most vulnerable within our communities.
Provide a robust partnership response against identified offenders and those at risk of offending, based upon a strategy of early intervention, enforcement and/or diversion/referral where appropriate.
Seek new and innovative ways of working across partnerships to provide integrated, coordinated and cost effective services to deliver against these aims in a timely manner.
The partnership group is in its early stages having only met twice to date, but it is anticipated that the group will work together to find and implement medium to long term solutions based upon the principles of (1) education/awareness, (2) prevention, (3) early intervention and (4) diversion/referral.
The group have already identified a potential opportunity to integrate services in a single hub within the recently modernised Accident & Emergency Department at HRI, but this is in its very early stages at this time.
Page 14 of 116 Analysis of violent crime has been conducted and it has shown an increase in offences in public places during the summer months involving strangers. There are no identified links, trends or patterns in relation to these offences and it is extremely difficult to predict and/or target these areas via traditional methods. The College of Policing have just completed a peer review regarding violent crime, and they have suggested (in the absence of any other evidence) that this increase may be nothing more complex than the fact that the warm weather has meant that more people were drinking in public places, therefore increasing the risk of confrontations.
Further analysis concerning (1) offenders (2) victims and (3) locations has been undertaken and measures have been put in place to manage repeat offenders, provide victims with support to help reduce the risk of repeat victimisation, and repeat locations have been identified across the city with ongoing work to ascertain if any preventative/reduction opportunities are available within these areas.
3. Issues for Consideration
Violent Crime remains a priority for the government and the Police & Crime Commissioner. As alluded to above, the ‘traditional’ areas of violent crime regarding NTE and DV have excellent policing and partnership arrangements in place and activity within these areas considered ‘business as usual’, but still subject to regular scrutiny.
It is requested that the Community Safety Overview and Scrutiny Committee:
i. Note the contents of this report
ii. Agree and confirm that the multi agency partnership approach to address medium to long term issues concerning ‘other’ violent crime is appropriate.
iii. Consider the future reporting requirements in relation to ‘other’ violent crime.
4. Consultation
Not applicable.
5. Options
Not applicable.
6. Conclusions and Next Steps
The work of the Violent Crime Group is still in its early stages and will address issues in the medium to long term. Further updates will be provided as directed, subject to paragraph 3 considerations.
Page 15 of 116 Tracy Harsley, City Safe and Early Intervention Manager on behalf of Corporate Director Adult, Children and Family Services
Contact Officer: Superintendent Mark Johansson - Tel: 01482 578662
20 December 2013
Appendix A – Violent Crime by location April – Nov 2013
Page 16 of 116 City Plan Anti Poverty Projects
Planned Live/Completion Date Theme City Plan Project Portfolio Holder Critical Success Factor Key Stakeholders Programme Narrative Financial Appraisal: Cost Energy switching is a collective purchasing and switching of energy, when consumers get together to negotiate a group deal with their gas and electricity suppliers. There is no set model for HCC; Warmzone; how individual schemes operate, though a third party usually Hull Families facilitates them. No, Hull Council were one Green Community 2015 ? Project; Collective switching is where the third party actively negotiates of the first Energy Switch Energy Energy Switching Community a better tariff on behalf of the group. providers. groups. Collective purchasing is where the third party or group buys a commodity (eg energy efficiency solutions) from a gas or electricity supplier, with a view to then supplying that commodity to a number of consumers.
The City has an insufficient supply of quality housing stock. The Council has prioritised a number of areas to address the imbalance: Newington and St.Andrews, Ings and Preston road, Housing Holderness Road Corridor, Orchard Park, Kingswood and the remodelling Green HCC and procured City Centre to include the Fruit Market. 2021 5000+ homes, Councillor Black Energy delivery partner. The investment programme will enable the Council to remodel includes Eco Hull's housing market, improving the City's quality of place. homes. The current housing investment programme will bring £550m into the City, creating and retaining 4500 jobs alongside the rebalancing of Hull's housing market.
Start up capital depends on A small scale urban farm within the city centre. The site would readiness of site. Revenue Suitable land / site, start Making Council, NHS, include raised beds, greenhouses, a training kitchen and café, estimated £200K PA for 2-3 up funding, plus revenue Money Education, VCS farmyard for small animals and chickens. As well as providing years to enable full 2016 City Farm Councillor Hewitt funding for 2-3 years Go 'Green' groups, volunteering opportunities in the gardens, kitchen, cafe and business model to be until a full business Further private sector shop, it would also be a good visitor attraction and community developed and larger model is implemented asset. charitable grants to be applied for.
Council parks and Making gardens, other Encouraging food growing on any available and suitable plot. Minimal cost - more about Money Community public sector. 2015 Councillor Hewitt Identify sites Pilot to start with public sector buildings and grounds, replacing allowing food growing on Go Growing Community groups flowers with vegetables. any suitable plot or space. Further to 'adopt' some sites.
Community Making Centres, "Soil to table" educational project. Working with community Community Commission a suitable £49,000 (HWB funding tbc) Money Education, Youth groups, youth clubs, housing schemes etc to grow and cook 2014 Cooking and Councillor Hewitt organisation to deliver for a one year pilot Go Services, Sheltered fresh food. Using community kitchens and a mobile Growing the project. scheme. Further Housing, RSLs, demonstration kitchen. VCS organisations
Page 17 of 116 City Plan Anti Poverty Projects
Hull and East Riding Time Bank, Building up the Time Hull Financial Bank infrastructure Inclusion Forum, Timebanking is people doing things for free for someone else, Total cost for entire three support / resources, to Making RSLS, Hull City and in return, can have things done for themselves for free, One year project is £824,000, enable expansion of the Money Care Share/Time Council Social hour of someone's time = one timebank credit. People gain and however the service could 2015 Councillor Hewitt brokerage service. Go Banking Care, Housing and withdraw credits. The service need brokering, which is the main be piloted on a smaller Commissioning a Further CYPS. VCS cost. Care Share Exchange brings people together to pool scale and the cost reduced suitable organisation to organisations, budgets and share services and resources. accordingly. deliver the Care Share tenant and resident project. associations, community groups.
RSLs, VCS Making Demand for the courses organisations, £25,000 investment Money Community A training programme and toolkit to enable non specialist 2014 Councillor Hewitt and links to CPD legal firms, Hull required for a 6 month pilot Go Education Advice workers to provide welfare advice. accreditation. College, Hull programme. Further Advice. HEYCU, Hull City Making Investment in Hull and £25,000 upfront investment Jam Jar Accounts Council, advice A bank account with the Credit Union that allows people to Money East Yorkshire Credit plus ongoing support for 2014 (Budgetary Councillor Hewitt and support ringfence regular payments like rent, bills etc, also regulate how Go Union to cover set up setting up and managing Support) organisations, much disposable income can be taken out each week. Further and initial admin costs. the accounts. RSLs.
Making An interest free loan from the Credit Union only by referral by £20,000 initial admin costs Money Credit Union Loan Initial investment to set HEYCU, Hull City Hull City Council. Hull CC acts as guarantor for the loan rather 2013 Councillor Hewitt until costs are covered Go Scheme up the system. Council. than directly making temporary payments which are in proactive from loan repayments. Further difficult to reclaim.
Page 18 of 116 Anti Poverty Task and Finish Panel Recommendations from Final Report
REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered FOOD 1 Use of unused land for the That the lead of Calderdale Area Directors/ The Greenshare Network (facilitated by By Autumn On-going Land and Help residents promotion and production of Council be followed, in Andrew Wilson the Partnership Team) is keen to 2014 growing make their healthy home grown low cost relation to using land for develop this approach further with the money go food. growing council, also the Food4Hull group. (SC) further food, by making available Unused grassland at the any spare or unused Council Relevant Officer/land owner may need Bespoke Centre in North Carr land for the growing of food to be involved in terms of use of is being considered for under license. council land. cultivating and growing vegetables for public A trial project is currently underway on consumption through a an area of land adjacent to Thoresby partnership between the Area Street School where a group of local Team and Bransholme residents connected with the Enterprises. Food4Hull group are growing fruit.
2 Improved awareness for That an exploration be Vanessa Growing and Cooking is part of action By March 2015 On-Going Learning and Prevention and children on cooking skills. undertaken to include a Harvey-Samuel 5 & 16 under Presence & Participation skills early “growing and cooking and “to support partnership approaches to intervention enterprise” strand within the the mitigation of child poverty through Learning and Skills Strategy. measures such as breakfast clubs” and “ to ensure all schools have access to a range of services which support the development of CYPF healthy lifestyles” See action 3 with regards the actions that are taking place re growing projects in Hull schools.
Page 19 of 116 Anti Poverty Task and Finish Panel Recommendations from Final Report
REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 3 Improved awareness for That in co-operation with Vanessa Cooking and growing projects are By March 2015 On-Going Learning and Prevention and children on growing their own “Open Futures”, support is Harvey-Samuel developing in schools, some via Open skills early food and cooking skills. given to the existing five Futures and some via alternative intervention Open Futures schools to means such as: spread the programme to The Clinical Commissioning Group other schools and maximise have recently funded a number of the knowledge sharing growing projects in schools and as part available. of the Health and Well being Board funded projects there is funding to support 5 schools and 5 children centres to grow their own produce.
As part of the national „School Food Plan‟ cooking is a compulsory part of the curriculum at primary and key stage 3, this will support young people to have the skills to cook.
The health and well being board has also funded a number of „healthy eating on a budget‟ courses aimed at families in need across Hull. These courses will also be linked to families in receipt of Fare Share produce.
An Officer group “Food in the City” has recently been established, initially to co-ordinate the commissioning and delivery of the Health and Well Being Board and CCG growing and cooking projects. This group has been very useful in identifying cross directorate and cross sector food / growing projects, and could consider a wider membership and / or a wider remit in future. In addition to encouraging growing and cooking in schools, the HWBB has funded a community based growing and cooking project, to work with 20+ community groups in 2014
Page 20 of 116 Anti Poverty Task and Finish Panel Recommendations from Final Report
REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 3. Via the Greenshare Network, links Ctd have also been formed with related community projects and groups such as Food4Hull (a social enterprise promoting sustainable, ethical, affordable and healthy food), and BAMEEN (Black and Minority Ethnic Environmental Network – promoting growing within BME communities) 4 The development of closer That schools are supported Vanessa H-S The Greenshare Network would like to March 2014 Learning and Prevention and links between Schools and to engage social bridging (with input from develop links between local groups and skills early Community groups to help with community groups and Area teams and schools (SC) intervention support anti poverty work. residents. Partnership team Network developed, 60 members, conference March 2014.
The Greenshare Network is a local voluntary sector led network of almost 60 organisations working on environmental projects e.g. recycling, growing, wildlife etc. The network has in kind support from the council (managing their mailing list, booking rooms and admin).
The network is organising a conference at the Guildhall on 19th March, which will be an opportunity to explore potential links with education services and schools.
If specific schools have ideas or projects in mind the Partnership Team can also circulate information or requests directly to the Greenshare members, or to the wider voluntary and community sector if required 5 Improved awareness for That schools are supported Vanessa H-S / See ref 2 action. It may be worth By March 2015 On-Going Learning and Prevention and children on growing their own in developing the enterprise Rachael amalgamating of ref 2 and 5 actions as skills early food and cooking skills. opportunities of growing and Roberts they are similar. See ref point 3 for intervention cooking. update on growing projects in schools.
Page 21 of 116 Anti Poverty Task and Finish Panel Recommendations from Final Report
REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 6 Identification of unused land for That the development of City Andrew Wilson Re mapping of food land use - Ongoing Land and Help residents‟ food growing use. Plan be used to ensure / Partnership partnership team will ensure that growing to make their mapping of food-land use Team information about allotment sites is put money go and food onto the City Plan website. further groups/organisations. The City Plan website has been promoted to external agencies w/c 4th November 2013 with an invitation for them to add their own projects under the priority headings.
Mapping of allotment sites is in hand and should be available on the City Plan website shortly. A further drive is required to invite other food / growing projects to submit their details to be added to the City Plan website, as response was poor on the first attempt.
Mapping land that could potentially be used for food growing may require a different approach. Some larger green public spaces can be identified, though there are many more smaller, potential plots around the city, not all council owned, where an invitation for residents to enquire about using pieces of land they have identified could be a more feasible approach.
Page 22 of 116 Anti Poverty Task and Finish Panel Recommendations from Final Report
REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 7 Raising awareness of growing That the possibility be Andy Burton / Greenshare Network and Food4 Hull June 2014 for Land and Help residents your own food. explored of planting an Andrew Wilson would be interested in further Queens growing make their edible garden around (at developing this approach (SC) Gardens. money go least) part of Others sites to further the fountain in Queens Food4Hull is in the process of forming follow Gardens and in the paved a Land Army to help grow food on area outside the Hull Truck empty land, we want to cook for a day Theatre and Albemarle and Feed Hull?; get food to people who Music Centre as flagships need it and help to reduce food and encouragement to other poverty, celebrate all the existing food groups to do projects in the area, create food the same (potentially utilising learning and training opportunities and Heritage Lottery Funding). bring together, and network with, local communities, businesses, policy makers and public health advocates at new events.
Currently an edible bed is being designed for the raised bed area in front of the Wilson Centre. This will be planted up in June 2014 using plants produced by the community.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 8 Promotion of locally grown That the potential of Phil Hall, In terms of an accreditation scheme for Initial feasibility Retail Help residents‟ produce and providing a introducing a sticker or Malcolm Relph local food businesses, the LEP is stage. to make their market outlet for home grown badge scheme for (Regen) expected to develop / support a money go produce. producers/retailers of network for local food producers further local produce be explored. shortly. Phil Hall is involved in this and will feed back on developments and potential opportunities for Hull City Council and Hull based food related businesses to benefit from / link into this network. It is believed that most food retailers use accredited supplier who tend to operate at National / International level and likely to be low interest in local sticker scheme A potentially more viable option is a more community / resident led local food accreditation sticker or badge scheme – further discussion is required to identify potential opportunities and barriers to residents selling their own produce e.g. traceability issues.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered Current provision 9 Promotion of locally grown That in relation to community Areas/ On-going Retail Help residents‟ produce and providing a markets: to facilitate where There are no community led / social enterprise Partnership led outdoor markets in Hull. A community led to make their market outlet for home grown possible and appropriate, the team indoor market Made and Sold in Hull runs on money go produce. selling of local produce. an occasional basis in different community further halls and gives local people the opportunity to sell produce, food, arts and crafts that they have made or grown.
Issues for consideration, risks and potential costs Regular outdoor markets are subject to regulation and legislation, whereas occasional indoor markets are not governed in this way and are therefore easier to manage. Trading on an occasional basis, or fluctuating self employment income may have benefit implications for individuals. Advice should be sought from DWP. Start up funding would be required to allow time for sustainable commercial activity to build up
Options for next steps
An outline proposal for a community market for East Hull has been developed by the Freedom Centre, proposing a 40 stall outdoor market twice weekly, with the potential to hire out the stalls for markets in other areas. To progress the project would need a more detailed business case, some start up funding, the involvement and support of other potential stakeholders, robust multi agency partnership and governance arrangements putting in place (possibly even a new Community Interest Company forming to manage it) and staffing with specific knowledge and expertise to manage it. A meeting of potential partners / stakeholders could be facilitated to explore the potential for the project.
The Made and Sold in Hull group could be approached to discuss the potential for their indoor markets to be held in all parts of the city, with the involvement of Area Teams.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 10 To enable residents to grow That the Housing Housing Angela Work has been undertaken to look at the Nov 2013 Started Land and Help residents‟ fresh produce and reduce food Department be asked to Dearing issues around this option growing residents to
bills; to enable under utilised/ review the tenancy With regard to changes to the tenancy make their neglected gardens to be agreement and explore agreement: money go maintained and productive whether there is any further potential in encouraging Our current tenancy agreement and Section 93 residents to offer unused of the Housing Act 1985 deal only with subletting of the dwelling house and not the garden space to other premises (which includes the garden) as a residents to care for. whole. We would therefore need to amend the tenancy agreement to try to regularise arrangements and protect our risk by adding a condition similar to condition 22 which covers subletting the dwelling house. We would need to say that the tenant could not sublet any part of the garden without making written application to the Council and obtaining our written consent which might include conditions to consent.
Legal Services also suggest that to limit risk conditions would always include the tenant having a suitable agreement with the subtenant approved by the Council and including a properly drafted plan of the extent of the land let, arrangements over fencing or boundaries and including clear conditions about what would happen if the main tenancy ceased.
In addition we would need to amend our alterations and adaptations consent procedure or create a new procedure specifically to deal with requests. It could cost the tenant quite a bit to apply and we could spend a lot of time dealing with each request.
Drafting and following procedures may be complex to try to limit risks to the Council. Deciding whether to agree a sublet could be tricky even with guidance and staff may be inclined not to agree requests to limit risk.
The costs of the varying the tenancy agreement last time came to £100,000. We could amend the agreement without issuing a whole new agreement if we are just adding one condition but we would still need to follow the legislation, notify tenants, take feedback, vary the agreement etc so costs would still be quite substantial (likely into the thousands) and, unless there is significant demand, may outweigh the benefits of making the changes.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 10 Summary of responses from other cont. landlord’s
Tendering DC use their existing tenancy agreement which covers responsibility for subletting the garden but also advise that any agreements are solely between the parties and that the tenant remains responsible for any part of the tenancy they have sublet. Kesteven have both the tenant and the grower sign up to a licence agreement which sets out the responsibilities of each party and the arrangements for the sublet. Leeds and Bristol did not specify their tenancy arrangements.
All responses except Bristol (who were really only interested in piggy backing on our info!) said that one of the main issues was that the expectation of the tenant and the growers often differed and that there is potential for dispute. Tendering in particular noted that confusion over boundaries can arise and that there are problems when the parties fall out and when agreements are terminated.
Leeds and Kesteven both said that although the idea is a good one the work involved to sort out and then manage a scheme was too great for the small number of successful arrangements and Leeds have abandoned it altogether.
Recommendations
There are already arrangements and schemes such as Green Prosperity in the Park and Longhill areas of the city which appear to be working informally. At the moment these do not appear to be resulting in dispute between tenants and growers although such problems could arise. The cost of amending the tenancy agreement would likely run to several thousand pounds and it seems, from the feedback from other landlords, that the small number of arrangements generated by formal schemes does not merit the expense of making changes to Hull‟s tenancy agreement, developing and managing a scheme. We could however reconsider this when we next review our tenancy agreement or if schemes such as Green Prosperity become increasingly successful and stimulate demand.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 11 Obtaining food at reduced cost That a briefing paper be Procurement/ LBo to produce a briefing paper Draft of briefing On-going. Retail Help residents‟ through bulk buying – to benefit submitted showing the Neil Daynes paper Briefing paper to make their the local community. options and viability of bulk LBo/DS A cross-sector working group has met completed completed in money go purchasing to assess the feasibility of a draft. Ready for further of food by the Council. Community Bulk Buying of Food consultation. model. This would be to enable the public to bulk buy as opposed to the council purchasing food. This group will inform the development of the aforementioned briefing paper. The current themes of focus are as follows:
Subsidised fruit and vegetables grown locally. Potential use of Fare Share Food Integration of a timebanking model so people can pay for food through time credits Online bulk purchasing with wholesalers.
Goodwin already deliver the FareShare scheme and are looking to develop this and the links with complementary schemes. Both Goodwin and EMS are submitting bids to the Dream Fund to take forward the „Food‟ element of the financial inclusion strategy. If these bids are successful then these projects will need to be taken into account also when considering the recommendations that relate to access to affordable food.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered FUEL 12 Increased take up of the That the People and Dave Collective Energy Switching has been Current Round Ongoing. Saving fuel Help residents‟ Energy Switch initiative – Communities Commission Shepherdson promoted at 2 events – Marfleet Super for registrations saving money to make their leading to reduced energy cost assess and monitor the Saver (21/9) and Housing Mutual now closed money go for subscribers. ongoing marketing and Exchange (31/10). (18/11/13). further uptake and effect of “Hull Since 18/10 we have received over Awaiting Switch” 100 registrations and Hull is now the information from second best performing Local Authority ichoosr on of a consortium of 14. future cycles. We have been liaising with Comms & Marketing in issuing press statements capitalising on the moral panic re. rising energy prices. The scheme would benefit from a dedicated resource re. promotion. Future plans include migration into the proposed Hull People‟s Premium.
Monitoring information is sent through from Peterborough Council on a regular basis. We are planning to promote the scheme through a number of channels. Information in the financial information packs Public events A commissioned promotion campaign We will monitor the impact that these activities have on registrations.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 13 Improved insulation of homes That the People and Warm Zone 1000 domestic EPCs have been The national Ongoing Saving fuel Help residents‟ to reduce heating costs. Communities Commission Trish undertaken grant scheme saving money to make their assess and monitor the Welsh/John Holland Street, Boulevard ph 2, for Green money go success of the Green Deal Bell NPS/Garry Welsted Street and BISF projects have Deal/ECO is further promotions Taylor all secured ECO funding and are fixed to March gearing up for delivery. There is a city 2015 as phase wide insulation scheme in operation 1 of the scheme These are all new schemes as the however Green Deal and Energy Company government has obligation is just starting up. The above indicated that schemes have secured funding to there will be a March 2015 and are targeting around phase 2 for a £5 million of grant support via the ECO further 3 years programme. Hot Spots referral system is in operation and has continued for 4 years. Excess winter Mortality continues to rise as energy costs exceed inflation There is currently a Green Deal/ECO partner procurement exercise taking place which will further strengthen the work in this area. Hull is top of the 380 councils in the UK in the cosy council index which rates them on activity and achievement for energy information and insulation programmes. 14 Improved consumer awareness That the People and JW – Comms A Communications plan to promote February 2013 Not started Saving fuel Help residents‟ on how to use fuel more Communities Commission and Marketing efficient fuel use will set out objectives saving money to make their efficiently. assess and monitor how an that success can be measured against. money go advertising campaign may further encourage people to use fuel more efficiently.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 15 Increasing consumer That the People and Dave Smart Monitors are currently being Smart Monitor Ongoing Saving fuel Help residents‟ awareness of energy Communities Commission Shepherdson fitted in 2 pilot areas (Southcoates East pilot until 2015. saving money to make their consumption in their homes assess and monitor the and Longhill Wards). EMS have had Potential roll out money go and encouraging more progress of “smart meters” in 100% take up for the monitors. EMS citywide further economic use of fuel. the City will provide one to one support in every dependent on home in which a monitor is fitted. The effectiveness/B level of saving will be dependent on the usiness Case. behavioural change they can instigate. EMS have agreed to share monitoring and performance with Hull City Council.
Environmental Management Solutions (EMS) have received funding through the Big Lottery Fund to fit and monitor Smart Monitors in both Southcoates East Ward and Longhill Wards. Partnership arrangements are in place to disseminate the effectiveness of this initiative within a broader anti-poverty context. 16 Encourage consumer migration That the People and Dave The issue of people unnecessarily March 2014 On-going Saving fuel Help residents‟ to less expensive payment Communities Commission Shepherdson to using pre-payment meters as a method saving money to make their methods for their fuel. assess and monitor the use produce a note of paying for their energy can be money go and removal of token Re; tariffs incorporated into the Hull People‟s further meters/pre-payment meters Premium through a semi-targeted SMS campaign with links to how to change payment method/tariff. This could be undertaken in January 2014.
It is very difficult to remove token meters/pre-payment meters as they are often „imposed‟ by energy companies when arrears begin to escalate. Households who pay for their energy using pre-payment meters, often prefer this method as it avoids issues re. debt and is incorporated within daily/weekly budgeting behaviours. There is an issue re. awareness, and people not being aware of their rights and ability to switch payment methods so this area of work may be better suited by a campaign, potentially aligned with energy switch
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 17 Identify the viability of the That the People and Andrew Wilson/ Pending Saving fuel Help residents‟ deployment alternative forms of Communities Commission Partnerships saving money to make their fuel e.g. solar. assess and monitor Team /Nick money go alternative forms of fuel, Howbridge further such as solar panels and the implications of the renting out of roof space for solar panels.
FINANCE 18 That an alternative mechanism That a pilot scheme for white Andy Brown Initial investigation undertaken Depends on On-going Credit and Help residents‟ be established for the provision goods vouchers be regarding possible use of the outcome savings to make their of essential white for low investigated. “Smarterbuys” initiative. Also contact sourcing money go income citizens as an made with the Co-Op who have funding for low further alternative to high cost credit experience supplying such schemes. income/high risk suppliers. Current constraint is lack of funding borrows. source for low income high risk borrows. The Hull Credit Union has been approached for funding but is relatively risk averse. 19 Encouraging high risk That the City Customer Andy Brown Loan guarantee facility has been Not yet On-going Credit and Help residents‟ borrowers to stop from using Service Manager explores discussed with the Credit Union, with determined as savings to make their high cost “Pay Day” lenders by proposals to guarantee small meetings held on 15 and 20 viable. Unlikely money go providing an alternative lower loans for the Credit Union November. There remains a challenge to be before further cost lending facility. and other ways the Credit in terms of establishing a risk level that April, 2014 Union can reduce the the Credit Union is comfortable using, threshold criteria for as a responsible lender. The Portfolio approving loan applications. Holder Councillor Hewitt and City Customer Services Manager met with the Credit Union president and Chief Executive to explore options and the City Customer Services Manager is now to explore these in more detail.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 20 Make sure customers have as That front facing access Lisa Buttery Information can be made available in a LBo to confirm On-going Credit and Help residents‟ much financial information as points advise customers of general form but front facing staff People‟s savings to make their possible to make good financial Credit Union products and cannot recommend particular financial Premium to be money go decision for themselves. services. providers or products, Whilst we may delivered by further want to promote the CU as an ethical March 2014 provider in a broad sense the Credit Union will not always have the best product for the individual and financial advice of this type is regulated. We may become liable if we are not mindful of the distinction. Our general aim should be to help people to make good financial decisions for themselves. Hull Advice are currently developing a product called the People Premium. This will be an on line app in which customers will be able to access useful information. To be promoted at the CSC‟s Welfare Line 300303.
Nine of the 38 actions that have resulted from the recommendations from the Anti-Poverty Task and Finish Panel are actions specifically about communicating messages to Hull residents in order to: - Raise their awareness - Encourage their engagement - Encourage them to behalf in certain ways/reinforce certain behaviours.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 20 Progress to date: cont - A text messaging system „Streamtext‟ has been purchased and installed that enables clients to register their interest in rece3iving information to support them to manage their money and to communicate with interested parties once they have registered. Hull Advice Clients will be offered the opportunity to sign up to this service throughout December and January in order to pilot its use and effectiveness (it has in-built monitoring systems). - Suggested names for the campaign are to be tested with a test group of clients in January. - A communications plan is to be developed for the campaign detailing messages, audiences and actions to be carried out over the period of the campaign; initially planned over a number of months and then extended subject to successfully achieving objectives set out. - A launch is planned to take place by April 2014, with some trialling of communications tools and messages to pilot groups from January.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 21 Corporate Debt policy revised That the Corporate Debt Andy Sims The Policy will be reviewed at the City 19/12/13 On-going Corporate debt Help residents‟ to ensure continued firm but Policy includes reference to Managers meeting on 8/11/13, recovery policy to make their fair collection procedures the CityPlan, and that the followed by People and Communities money go followed. Corporate Debt Policy, when Scrutiny in November before Cabinet further revised, be considered on 19/12/13. further by the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission to ensure that the comments of this Panel have been accounted for.
22 Credit Union advisors are able That the additional training Lisa Bovill The Credit Union now have a leaflet to March 2014 Delivered Advice and Help residents‟ to provide basic financial provided to Call Centre/CSC give to customers that outlines sources On-going support to make their advice to customers staff for the new financial of debt advice in the city. This action is money go advice service is offered to completed. The Credit Union are further Credit Union advisors. involved in the development of the People‟s Premium service which will negate the need for additional training. 23 The holistic management of That the Information Andy Sims Demo received on 5 September, 2013 March 2014 On-going Corporate debt Help residents‟ customer debt collection to Communication and of Corporate automated Recovery recovery policy to make their provide a more joined up Technology (ICT) Team be system (CARs) run by Merchant money go service. approached to review the Software Ltd. further feasibility of integrating computerised systems, in Briefing paper to be produced to go to order to deliver an Cabinet in March 2014, work to be Integrated Debt Management scoped as part of the Customer and Debt Management Strategy. Policy, and to identify resources that may be utilised for this purpose.
24 The holistic management of That better cross Andy Sims Scoping work on customer strategy On-going Corporate debt Help residents‟ customer debt collection to departmental working be recovery policy to make their provide a more joined up instigated where a customer See above (ref 23) money go service. has a number of outstanding further debts to different Council Departments and has been unable to make current instalment payments, and to make an arrangement with the customer to make one regular cyclical payment.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 25 Improved customer awareness That the advice sheet used Lisa Buttery / Information packs are being developed Not Started – Advice and Help residents‟ of anti poverty support by the front line staff includes Lisa Bovill that will include reference to fuel switch scheduled for support to make their available. additional standard and the Credit Union. February 2014. money go questions, including, “Did further you switch your fuel An SMS service is currently being provider?” and, “Are you a piloted that will provide a more cost member of the Credit effective and potentially more effective Union?” method of transmitting communications. This will be via a brand/identity that will challenge the stigma often aligned with anti-poverty measures. This is currently going under the working title Hull People‟s Premium.
See box 20 26 Raising awareness of anti That the newsletter being Eddie Coates- Issue one was issued in October 2013. Oct, Jan, Apr, On-going Advice and Help residents‟ poverty initiatives being driven created by the Madden/JW Issue two is planned for January 2014 Jul support to make their by the Councils and its Council’s Communications with quarterly editions thereafter. money go partners. Team projects a positive further image of debt alleviation, and include issues such as not having to pay for help with self-help packs.
27 Fair levels of debt recovery That the People and Andy Sims / Workshops arranged for Member Report to On-going Corporate debt Help residents‟ costs used in collection of Communities Overview and Andy Brown consultation on 11 and 12 December. January, 2014 recovery policy to make their Council Tax. Scrutiny Commission review Feedback obtained will help inform Cabinet money go the full implications of options for a Cabinet Report to be further lowering the costs incurred taken to the January 2014 Cabinet. by customers when Council Tax cases are referred for Court Proceedings to their future work programme.
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 28 Ensure fair Benefit Clawback That the People and Andy Sims Briefing paper to be produced for On-going Corporate debt Help residents‟ rates are used. Communities Overview and People and Communities OSC for recovery policy to make their Scrutiny Commission review 9/1/14 meeting. money go the guide collection rate of further benefit by claw-back to ascertain the full implications of a lower level being set than the amount advised by the Department for Work and Pensions.
29 Effective data sharing within That the City Manager for Andy Brown / The scope and legal issues associated On-going – On-going Advice and Help residents‟ data protection regulations to Customer Services is asked SIRO with this proposal will be considered as linked to support to make their help deal with customers on a to consider adding the system integration project progresses. systems money go more holistic basis. opportunity for consent to be integration further gained from residents to development share their information across Council Departments.
30 That the rent arrears policy is That Cabinet reviews the Housing Laura Cabinet considered: July 2013 No Started Housing Enabling and either agreed as being fit for policy for eviction of tenants Carr (Angela Council considered: amendments Supporting the purpose or is amended as who have rent arrears in light Dearing) September 2013 have been plan necessary, to ensure that it is of Welfare reforms and the Review to Cabinet November 2013 identified supportive to all tenants impact of the “bedroom tax”. through process experiencing financial to date; Cabinet difficulties, maximises to consider opportunities for support, 25.11.13 including from a multi agency perspective, with eviction being an option of last resort 31 That the rent charged and The Cabinet consider the Housing Laura Cabinet considered: July 2013 Amendments to Started Housing Enabling and benefit payable is accurate practice of other Authorities Carr (Angela Council considered: be completed On going supporting the having regard to the number, and housing providers Dearing) September 2013 for 31.3.14 programme to plan size and useable space within concerning the Review to Cabinet November 2013 where small also address bedrooms in council homes, in reclassification of bedrooms. bedrooms have historic and order that there is no been arising unreasonable financial impact highlighted adaptations on tenants
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 32 That the rent charged and That the outcome of the Housing Laura Cabinet considered: July 2013 Amendments to Started Housing Enabling and benefit payable is accurate review on the potential of the Carr (Angela Council considered: be completed Amendments to supporting the having regard to the number, re-designation of bedrooms Dearing) September 2013 for 31.3.14 be completed plan size and useable space within in Council homes is Review to Cabinet November 2013 where small for 31.3.14 bedrooms in council homes, in monitored by the People and bedrooms have where small order that there is no Communities Overview and been bedrooms have unreasonable financial impact Scrutiny Commission. highlighted been on tenants and that Scrutiny highlighted have information about progress on this. 33 That the People and That the monitoring of the Housing Laura N&H CM to update at the quarterly CM Quarterly Not started Housing Enabling and Communities demand pressures faced by Carr (Angela update to the OSC updates To be included supporting the Overview and Scrutiny the Council and the impact Dearing) in the next CM plan Commission are kept up to on residents in terms of report date with demand on and housing is undertaken by the pressures for housing and People and Communities housing services and the Overview and Scrutiny implications from an anti Commission. poverty perspective, in order that they can fulfil an effective scrutiny function 34 That tenants‟ unwanted/ That the Panel had Housing Laura This is being considered as part of the Started Housing Help residents useable furniture/ items can be considered how best to Carr (Angela garage demolition/ garage clearance to make their re-used by households who utilise some of the resources Dearing) work money go would otherwise struggle to that we currently have where further afford such items tenants have been evicted and felt that unclaimed furniture and re-usable items could be utilised for people in poverty who are starting a new tenancy, and refer this to the People and Communities Commission for further investigation.
35 To evaluate how customers are That the Council conduct Laura Carr There are a number of ways that we Complete Not started Advice and Enabling and treated when they access mystery shopping exercises (Angela already tests customers views about 31.3.14 Support supporting plan frontline services to ensure that all customers Dearing) their customer experience. are treated respectfully, regardless of financial status. The Housing Tenant Participation team could contribute to assessing this by including in a mystery shopping exercise
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REF Desired Outcome Action required: Lead Officer/ Comments/Update Timescale for Status: Scrutiny City Plan Department Delivery Not Started Theme Theme On-Going Delivered 36 To improve customer That the Council work Lisa Buttery / This information will be contained Pending Scheduled for Advice and Help residents‟ awareness of debt support and towards banishing the stigma Lisa Bovill within the financial inclusion launch February Support to make their encourage non stigmatised of being in debt, and information packs, which are currently 2014 money go requests for help. encourage an open dialogue being developed. further through formulating a toolkit that can be used to engage customers in discussion about finances, including questions such as “have you switched?”, “do you grow anything?”, “do you know that the Council are offering a white goods scheme?” Etc.
37 Raise profile of possible health That the Health and Director of There is a wealth of information and End January An update will Health Prevention and impacts of indebtedness and Wellbeing Board review the Public Health / research on the impact of debt and 2014 be available early encourage support from Health impact of debt on health. Andrew Taylor other social problems, e.g. poor after this date. intervention and Well Being report. housing, on health. What actions do we want to emerge from the review?
The report (overview of the impact of debt on health) will be considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board at the 21 January 2014 Board Meeting.
38 Ensuring effective anti poverty That the People and Eddie Coates- The communications plan was On-going Delivered Raising Enabling and communications with input Communities Overview and Madden developed with input earlier in the year. awareness/ supporting the from the People and Scrutiny Commission monitor communications plan Communities Overview and and have an input into the Scrutiny Commission. communications strategy.
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Briefing Note to the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission
9th January 2014
Housing Benefit Performance
Briefing Note of the City Customer Services Manager
1. Purpose of the Briefing Note and Summary
1.1 To inform the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission of current performance in the processing of claims for Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support.
2. Background
2.1 On 7 October 2013 the Councils Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee received the Councils 1st Quarter Corporate Performance report and noted that the average processing time for Housing Benefits in the 1st quarter 2013/14 was 33.39 calendar days. Members of the Committee expressed concern in that outcome and asked for a paper to be received by the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission to enable the Commission to consider the reasons for the current level of performance, the increase in processing times and to receive suggestions as to how that performance can be improved.
2.2 Housing Benefits are paid to those people on low incomes who have a genuine liability to pay rent to a landlord being the Council, a Registered Social Landlord or a private landlord/letting agent. The benefit is generally paid to the landlord except in private sector cases where it is mainly paid to the tenant as Local Housing Allowance. In Hull there are currently 34,164 households in receipt of help with their rent via Housing Benefit/Local Housing Allowance.
2.3 Local Council Tax Support is provided in the main to the same group of people, but also to those who own their own properties who are on low income. There are currently 37,352 households in receipt of Local Council Tax Support, of which 6,362 are owners who occupy their own property.
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3. Processing times
3.1 The Benefits Service has been measured for many years by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The measurements are the average number of calendar days to process new claims and changes in circumstance associated with claims for Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support (formerly Council Tax Benefit). These indicators used to be known as Best Value Performance Indicators and whilst not officially reported now at a national level, the figures are still reported to the DWP and are a key indicator used both internally and externally to gauge the performance of the department.
3.2 Whilst the Benefits Service endeavours to collect all of the personal, household and financial information it needs to assess a claim, inevitably the department is left chasing people for information. Where the Benefits Service requests information from the customer that it legally requires to process the claim, it is obliged under regulations to allow that person 28 days to response. If not received, the service does not send further reminders, and those claims are usually then made defective. The requirement to allow people up to 28 days to respond to enquires must be borne in mind when average processing times are being considered, as these days are included in these figures.
3.3 In 2003 the Department for Work and Pensions sent a help team into Hull after expressing concern at the high number of days it was taking to process benefit claims which were in excess of 70 days at that time and had in previous years exceeded 90 days on average. Appendix 1 shows the trend on average performance for the processing of Housing Benefit claims and Changes in Circumstance between 2002/03 to present date. The data shows that at its highest in 2002/03 prior to the visit of the DWP`s help team, the average number of days to process new claims was 71, which dropped to a pre-recession lowest of 24 days in 2007/08. Changes in circumstance were at their highest in 2004/05 at 22 days as the service focused on making improvements to its new claims performance, and at its lowest, that figure was 9 days in 2006/07.
3.4 Following the visit by the DWP help team, the Benefits Service traditionally split between the Housing Department (where there was decentralisation) and the Private Sector Benefits Teams, merged into one service and eventually centralised. A new computer system (Civica) was purchased and brought in which is still used to this day. This system incorporated scanning and workflow capability which increased efficiency when compared with previous paper based systems. In addition, processes were reviewed and standardised across the merged teams. These changes led to the numbers of staff working on Housing Benefits administration to be reduced over the forthcoming years. Further information on staffing resources is detailed at paragraph 7.1 to 7.6 in this paper.
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3.5 In 2013/14 the year to date average time for processing new claims as at the 30 November 2013 was 31.67 days. This is an improvement on the figure reported to the Councils Overview and scrutiny Management Committee on 7 October which was 33.39 days. The figure for the month of November was 30.49 days.
3.6 In 2013/14 the year to date average time for processing changes in circumstance as at the 30 November 2013 was 17.56 days. This is an improvement on the figure reported to the Councils Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 7 October which was 17.09 days. The figure for the month of November was 13.78 days.
3.7 At the Councils Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 7 October 2013, concerns were expressed at reported processing times, and therefore the amount of time people would be waiting for their Benefits. It must be noted that when someone is already on Housing Benefit and they change address, that their new claim is assessed as a change in circumstance. Therefore those claims have been processed in an average of 17.56 days in 2013/14.
4. Caseload
4.1 Appendix 2 shows the increase in the live caseload since 2007/08 which co- encided with the beginning of the recession in the UK. The chart demonstrates a significant increase in the number of people claiming from 36,038 in 2008 to a high of 42,163 in March 2013. This represented a 17% increase in the numbers of people claiming in that 5 year period.
4.2 Appendix 2 also shows a drop in the numbers of people claiming since April 2013 by 1,163 to 40,526, being a 2.8% decrease. This drop is mainly down to the combined impacts of the abolishing of Council Tax Benefit and the introduction of the Housing Benefit new size criteria rules for Social sector tenants. This is because as tapers of 8.5%, 14% or 25% are applied those on the lower levels of benefit below these percentages fall out of entitlement to the benefit.
5 Work processed
5.1 Appendix 3 shows the numbers of cases processed by the Benefits service.
5.2 In 2008/09 it can be seen that the number of new claims processed was 18,034. This increased to a high of 27,534 in 2009/10, and last year in 2012/13 it was 25,105. The increase from 2008/09 to 2009/10 represented an increase in cases processed of 53%, and even though that annual figure has decreased slightly, the numbers processed for 2012/13 still represents a 39% increase on volumes processed in 2008/09.
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5.3 Similarly, regarding changes in circumstance, in 2008/09 the numbers of changes in circumstance processed was 130,366 (including 12,291 processed automatically by the system).This increased to 240,402 in 2012/13 (including 89,870 processed automatically by the system).Overall, this represents an 84% increase in changes in circumstance processed between 2008/09 and 2012/13. Disregarding those processed automatically by the system, the increase in 2008/09 was 32,457 changes being an increase of 27%.
5.4 The above figures represent an overall increase in work coming into the service that needs officer assessment since 2008 of 29%.
6 Work outstanding
6.1 Appendix 4 shows the levels of work outstanding in the Benefits Service since March 2011. The graph has 2 lines, being those cases “awaiting action” which have not yet been looked at, and those cases where information has been requested from the customer and a response is required. The latter cases are those where the claimant legally has up to 28 days to respond to the request.
6.2 Appendix 4 shows that at its highest, the total number of cases awaiting action was 10,938 in August 2012. That figure is now 4,012, representing a reduction of 63% in the numbers not looked at.
6.3 Appendix 4 also shows that levels of cases awaiting information do not fluctuate that greatly, but understandably they increase proportionally as cases awaiting action start to be cleared.
7 Resources
7.1 Appendix 5 shows the numbers of fte resources employed by Hull City Council on Benefits Administration since 2002 being the period when the DWP help team visited as detailed at 3.3 to 3.4 of this paper.
7.2 Numbers have reduced from 191fte in March 2002 (when the service was split and decentralised) to the current figure of 120.5fte. Of the current number circa 66 fte are involved in the assessment of claims and changes.
7.3 The service has a high level turnover of staff traditionally being between 10- 15% per year. The high turnover is not helped by uncertainty regarding the introduction of the Governments Universal Credit, which is delayed from the expected national rollout in October 2013. The Government have indicated there will be further small scale phased rollout between 2014 and 2016 leading to Local Authorities administering Housing Benefits until at least 2016/17 and potentially beyond.
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7.4 Housing Benefits administration is governed heavily via a national set of regulations which frequently change. It is commonly known as one of the most difficult benefits to administer. New recruits to the service receive an initial 4 months classroom based training and work through a workbook over the course of a 12 month period that is accredited to NVQ Level 3 by the Open College Network. It is generally a minimum of 12 months before a new recruit to the service is fully competent across all Housing Benefit assessment work.
7.5 Since April 2009, the service has utilised agency workers and external processing to enable it to deal with the increased volumes of work due to the increased caseload and associated work, however, no agency staff have been used during the last 2 years. Presently, the service engages with Stockport MBC (who also use the same Civica computer system) who provide an equivalent 12fte processing resource to the authority at a cost of circa £250,000 per year.
7.6 If the arrangement with Stockport was ended, there would be the potential for work outstanding to increase significantly even if new staff were recruited to the Benefits Service. This is because Stockport give a guarantee of 12 fte trained assessors, whereas it would take 12 months to train new recruits to the benefits service to that level of competency. There is also the risk that recruits to the service may leave in that time, whereas the Stockport arrangements provides a guaranteed level of resource.
8 Benchmarking
8.1 The service benchmarks at a local and national level. Appendix 6 compares the performance on speed of processing between April and August 2013 with some of the other major cities in the country. Of the 17 authorities compared, the average time for processing of new claims was 27.1 days being 6 days quicker than Hull. The average for processing changes in circumstance across the same group was 13.67 days, being just under 4.5 days quicker than Hull.
8.2 Locally, the service benchmarks with our neighbours at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the two authorities on the South Bank and York City Council. The information below shows that in October, Hull`s performance was better than that of North Lincolnshire and York and only marginally worse than North East Lincolnshire
New claims – October 2013
Hull – 27.4 days, York – 50.29 days, ERYC – 18.28 days NEL – 25.7 days NL – 28.14 days
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Changes – October 2013
Hull – 16.2 days, York – 26.56 days, ERYC – 10.08 days, NEL – 13.1 days, NL – 18.93 days,
9 Housing Benefit and links to Homelessness
9.1 It is often considered that delays in Housing Benefit can lead to increases in Homelessness. Information has been sought from homelessness officers within the authority who have stated the following:
There has been some increase in homelessness approaches and it's fair to say that cases are increasingly complex. However, there has not been an increase in homelessness acceptances due to our prevention strategies. Neither have we any indication that Housing Benefit processing times are a factor in this increase. If a homelessness approach was made, we would contact Housing Benefit staff to try to resolve the issue anyway and it's fair to say we have established links between the Housing Benefit and Homelessness staff to negate any problems in this regard.
10 Conclusions
10.1 Processing times have significantly improved since the DWP help team visited the authority over 10 years ago from highs of over 70 days for new claims, to a best ever performance of 24 days.
10.2 Current processing times are slightly higher than the national average of our comparators in the first 7 months of 2013/14, but better then some of our neighbouring authorities.
10.3 The live caseload remains over 14% higher than it was in 2008, and work coming into the service requiring officer assessment has increased by 29% since 2008. Despite this increase in work, levels of work outstanding are less than they have been for over 2 years.
10.4 Total number of fte`s employed within the Benefits service has reduced from 191fte to 120.5 in the last 10 years including reductions seen in the last 2 years as Government cuts reduce service budgets. In 2002 the numbers of staff assessing claims was over 110fte. This number is now nearer 66fte (excluding additional capacity from Stockport). Work in recent history to reduce staff numbers has deliberately excluded the core assessments area.
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10.5 The service remains reliant upon its arrangement with Stockport MBC to provide additional capacity for processing resilience. This guarantees trained assessors at a cost of circa £250,000 per year. Any move to cut or stop this arrangement without a contingency incorporating fully trained staff would result in significant increases to work outstanding and delay.
10.6 Given increases to work levels and reductions in numbers of staffing, the performance of the service has held up relatively well and it is considered that given a continued stability of staff resource, current processing times may continue to improve from current levels
11 Next Steps
11.1 A tight management focus will remain in place with the aim of continuing the current trend of improved performance.
11.2 The Revenues and Benefits Service will be reviewed as part of the Future Council – Customer Enablement and Empowerment Programme to explore the potential of greater Customer self service using digital technology to drive service improvement and efficiencies.
Andy Brown – City Customer Services Manager
Contact Officer: Andy Sims (61)3021
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Appendix 1
Average processing times for Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support (Calendar days)
Benefits Processing Times
80
70
60
50
New 40 Change in circumstance
Days To Days Process 30
20
10
0 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 (end of Nov) Year
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Appendix 2
Caseload
Average Caseload For Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support cases(Combined).
43000
42000
41000
40000
39000 Average Caseload
38000 Average Caseload Average 37000
36000
35000
34000 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 (end of Nov) Year
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Appendix 3 Cases processed
Claims Processed
300000
250000
200000
New Number Of Claims 150000
CIC's Number Of Claims Numberof Claims 100000
50000
0 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 (end of Nov) Year
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Appendix 4
Cases awaiting determination
Awaiting Action & Further Information Awaiting Action Awaiting further information from customer
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
31/03/201114/04/201128/04/201112/05/201126/05/201109/06/201123/06/201107/07/201121/07/201104/08/201118/08/201101/09/201115/09/201129/09/201113/10/201127/10/201110/11/201124/11/201108/12/201122/12/201105/01/201219/01/201202/02/201216/02/201201/03/201215/03/201229/03/201212/04/201226/04/201210/05/201224/05/201207/06/201221/06/201205/07/201219/07/201202/08/201216/08/201230/08/201213/09/201227/09/201211/10/201225/10/201208/11/201222/11/201206/12/201220/12/201203/01/201317/01/201331/01/201314/02/201328/02/201314/03/201328/03/201311/04/201325/04/201309/05/201323/05/201306/06/201320/06/201304/07/201318/07/201301/08/201315/08/201329/08/201312/09/201326/09/201310/10/201324/10/201307/11/201321/11/2013
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Appendix 5
Officers employed on Benefit Administration by HullCC
Numbers of staff involved in the administration of Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support
250
200
150
Staffing Numbers
100
50
0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
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Appendix 6
National Benchmarks – Processing comparions April – August 2013.
Change in Local Authority New Claims Circs Birmingham 26.67 7.92 Bradford 28.8 21.58 Bristol 22 17 Coventry 24.3 19.1 Hull 33.25 18.12 Kirklees 27.92 9.16 Leeds 29 15 Leicester 23 19 Liverpool 25.38 7.36 Manchester 27.55 14.22 Middlesbrough 22.91 11.13 Newcastle 27.1 8.3 N. Ireland 24 7.6 Nottingham 57.3 37.9 Sheffield 23 19 Southampton 14.44 12.17 Wakefield 23.9 16.22
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Page 54 of 116 OUTSTANDING ACTION LIST - JANUARY 2014 People & Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission
LEAD OFFICER: CHAIR: Andy Brown (Laura Councillor Carr/Tracy Harsley/Andy Craker Burton)
Commission Reason for submission and actions (the reason for submission should be Agenda Items RAG SO Comments Date specified in the level 1 cell, action in level 2 cells) Welfare Benefit Changes - 11/07/2013 Housing Policy To consider the report and make recommendations to Council. Considerations That following the first example of a tenant being evicted for arrears created by the social sector property size criteria, the details and outcome of the case be A On hold until any information. provided to this Commission outside of the meeting. City Manager Presentation - To update the Commission on current/key issues and for members to CitySafe (Business and 10/10/2013 identify matters to be considered, and raise questions and issues on the Commercial Crime and presentation, that may lead to further work being undertaken. Violent Crime) That the Citysafe and Early Intervention Manager liaises with Humberside Police TH to provide Members with an to clarify whether the role of Inspector for Public Order and Licensing would be A update of the letter sent to the retained. Lord Mayor To ensure that Members are involved in the creation of city plan projects 10/10/2013 Neighbourhoods and the monitoring of the implementation ensuring that the relevant outcomes are being achieved. That the results of the multi-agency pilot undertaken in the North Carr Area Emailed PM 16.10 requested info A which focussed on shed burglary is circulated to members of this Commission. 15.11 - emailed 20.12
Future Options for Library 14/11/2013 To consider the report and make recommendations to Cabinet. Service Delivery (Exempt)
Follow up when final report That this Commission supports the comments, within the report, of the Portfolio A considered by Cabinet deferred Holder for Culture, Leisure, Events and Public Wellbeing. from November meeting Councillors Abbott, Thomas, Quinn and Mathieson wished for it to be recorded Follow up when final report that they were of the opinion that further information was required on the savings A considered by Cabinet deferred that would be generated by creating a wholly owned company to deliver Library from November meeting services. City Manager Presentation - To update the Commission on current/key issues and for members to 12/12/2013 Neighbourhoods and identify matters to be considered, and raise questions and issues on the Housing presentation, that may lead to further work being undertaken.
(1) To update Members on re-designation of bedrooms in Council homes. (2) To update Members on the demand pressures faced by the Council and Fuel, Food & Finance - the impact on residents in terms of housing. (3) To consider how best to 12/12/2013 Housing Theme utilise some of the resources that the Council currently have where tenants have been evicted and whether unclaimed furniture and re-usable items could be utilised for people in poverty who are starting a new tenancy. That the date which the solid wall insulation work will commence on the BISF Emailed LC requested info before properties in Bricknell ward be provided to Councillor Abbott outside of the A 09/01 meeting The Commission should look further into whether the current advice Review of Hull Advice service is matching the demand for the service, how requests for 12/12/2013 Service and Demand for specialist advice are being dealt with, and how the service can develop to Specialist Advice ensure it meets the needs of resident. That a briefing note is circulated to members of this Commission outside of the meeting which provides a breakdown of the Hull Advice Service budget, the number of referrals that have been received, the number of council tenants Emailed AB & LB requested info which have a debt relief order in place, a breakdown of the type of cases that are A Page 55 of 116 before 09/01 being dealt with by the service, the number of critical cases that have received funding this year, the number of staff in the advice service, and the number of successful mortgage rescue scheme applicants.
Page 56 of 116
Briefing Paper to the People & Communities Overview & Wards: All Scrutiny Commission 9 January 2014
City Plan: ‘Making Money Go Further’ – City Farm Feasibility Study Presentation
Briefing Paper of Corporate Director
1. Purpose of the Paper and Summary
1.1 To seek the views of the commission on the feasibility study for the potential development of a City Centre Farm. The UK Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens will present the findings of a feasibility study they have undertaken on behalf of the City Council.
2. Background
2.1 Following consultation on the ‘Making money go further’ priority of the City Plan a City Farm concept emerged as a potential vehicle to address food poverty and at the same time promote health and well being. The UK Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens was commissioned to undertake a feasibility study for the city farm project with a focus on the potential for meanwhile use of a site, using portable structures which can then be relocated.
2.2 The UK Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG) is the national umbrella charity for projects such as this. A presentation on the feasibility study shown in Appendix 1 will be given by:
Mick Michael Marston, FCFCG Northern Development Co-ordinator Adrian Fisher/ Mark Cleaver
2.3 A stakeholder event in November was attended by 29 different organisations and two other community based events were used to gather views. Feedback received has been positive with 35 pledges of support ranging from using the venue as a base for activities, training opportunities, providing volunteers and being involved in commercial aspects such as a shop or café.
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3. Issues for Consideration
3.1 The Council is facilitating the potential development of the City Farm by commissioning the feasibility study as a starting point for the project. The study recommends that the most appropriate form of delivery for this project is through a social enterprise model.
3.2 The start up cost of the project is subject to an available site and the type of activity, but an estimated capital cost, excluding any site specific costs ranges from £55K for a very basic site to £200K+ for a higher quality site, with running costs ranging from £60K - £250K PA on the same basis.
3.3 At the current time the City Council has not identified any funding for the project though the feasibility study has identified the strong potential for attracting external funding, contracts and trading. A key factor will be to ensure that the City Farm is financially sustainable in the long term.
3.4 The primary focus of the City Farm concept is on growing and acting as a hub for all the food related projects around the City.
3.5 The study has also highlighted the following key issues: The location of a city farm must be in the heart of the regenerating city, amongst high aspiration: Somewhere people want to be. The farm should be set up as an independent enterprise that can work across all sectors and areas of the community The farm would be a hub for the numerous food related activities and projects across the city The farm should trade in goods and services to ensure a diverse income stream Engagement is needed with local businesses to seek support and sponsorship Engagement is needed with owners of potential sites to make land accessible in the right place
4. Next steps
4.1 The feasibility study has provided the opportunity to seek views on the City Farm concept and inform the next stages for its development. The Council’s role could involve establishing and supporting a project group with potential delivery partners to develop a full business case, identify a site and sources of funding.
Trish Dalby, Corporate Director
Contact Officer : Iain Atkinson ext 3879 / Sharon Clay ext 3281
Officer Interests: None
Background Documents: - Appendix 1 – City Farm Feasibility Study Page 58 of 116 Page 2 of 2
A City Farm for Hull: A Feasibility Study
Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens December 2013 Page 59 of 116
A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study
Contents
Executive Summary 2 1.0 Context ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3 2.0 Planning Issues and Requirements ……………………………………… 4 3.0 Realistic Estimates of Start-up Costs and ongoing revenue … 5 4.0 Potential Models of Delivery………………………………………………… 8 5.0 Potential Activities ………………………………………………………………. 10 6.0 Health and Safety Issues ……………………………………………………… 12 7.0 Legal Issues and Regulations...... 15 8.0 Other Resources Required …………………………………………………… 18 9.0 Potential Partners and Links to Complementary Activities ….. 19 10.0 Social, Economic and Environmental Benefits ……………………… 23 11.0 Risks and Risk Management ………………………………………………… 24 12.0 Potential Income Streams and Sources of External Funding .. 27 13.0 Learning from Elsewhere ...... 29 14.0 Stakeholder Views ………………………………………………………………. 31 15.0 Potential Customers/Service Users /visitors ………………………… 33 16.0 Sustainability Issues …………………………………………………………….. 34 17.0 Local Context ………………………………………………………………………. 36 18.0 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………. 38 19.0 Recommendations ...... 40 Appendices 1. Record of Stakeholder Meetings ….……………………………………………………….. 41 2. Learning and design photographs …………………………………………………………. 49 3. References ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 54
Acknowledgements
Hull City Council for their ongoing support, Jerome Wittingham for his help providing IT support and ideas, North Bank Forum for their support with the consultation event and Richard Ralph from Architectural Design Partnership Ltd for his work on the Concept Drawings. Page 60 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 1
Executive Summary
The study on creating a city farm for Hull shows that it is possible to create a mobile farm that can deliver the desired outcomes required as identified in the ‘Making Money Go Further’ consultation – which is a Hull City Council plan priority - whilst being flexible to land opportunities in the City of Hull. Key to the farms success will be its first location ensuring that the project is seen as truly valued as an important element of the City, and that the participants feel welcomed. All locations should be assessed for their territorial neutrality. Design plays an important role in the same way as location. In this respect, the key elements of the farm should be as high quality as possible with inspirational design ideas.
To engender ownership and future participation, where ever possible the community should be encouraged to take part in all aspects of the farm development and delivery through the construction of container architecture to constructing raised beds.
The Farm should be an independent body rather than a project delivered by a larger organisation to ensure it remains true to its objectives yet adaptable to opportunities. To provide stability, it should be supported by external exemplar farm projects that demonstrate synergies in vision and approach. The supporting farms should provide support guidance and mentoring to nurture the farm in its first years until it is fully established.
The farm must be set up to deliver a range of goods and services to create diverse income streams and look not just to grants to sustain itself. Further, the farm should look to the local business community to support its work.
There is a significant regulatory framework in which city farms operate. This should be seen as enabling rather than a burden and must be managed to the highest standard and given high priority to ensure that the best experience is had by all.
The city farm has tremendous potential to help build social cohesion, improve the site on which it is located, and through its accessibility and diversity of services, will act as a significant hub for city wide related activities, both social and environmental.
The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens will continue to support this vision for a City Farm in Hull through its local contacts and centrally.
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1.0 Context
Through wide consultation with the local community on ‘Making Money Go Further’, Hull City Council has identified a number of needs that could be addressed through a city farm in the centre of Hull. A constraint to such a project is the availability of land. Following a meeting between the City Council and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG), arranged to discuss a potential for creating a city farm close to the centre of the City of Hull, an idea of a pop up or mobile farm project based on the ‘meanwhile’ concept was mooted as a solution to the lack of land available on a permanent basis. Some initial research was carried out by the FCFCG and its local contacts to identify similar projects where lessons could be learned to inform such a project. Following discussions with the City Council, a feasibility study was commissioned to consider in more detail how a pop up or mobile farm could work in the City of Hull based on the ‘meanwhile concept’.
This report presents the information gathered from research carried out in fulfilment of contractual requirements of the feasibility study identified above, provides conclusions and recommendations for further work to enable a City Farm based on Meanwhile use to be set up in Hull, but with the long term aim to find a permanent site.
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2.0 Planning Issues and Requirements
Information provided by the Hull City Council planning department indicate 5 key areas of Planning issues that need to be taken into consideration theses are:
2.1 Flood Risk Assessment – Hull is a low lying area at risk of inundation from the sea. Any proposed project would require a Flood Risk Assessment wherever it is situated. The Environment Agency are looking considering the project with a view to giving some preliminary advice –To Follow.
2.2 Transport Assessment – Currently, there is a road redevelopment scheme being investigated for the A63 near the Fruit Market. Any project near this redevelopment would need to be considered in the light of this project as it may impact on the site and on traffic around it. Contact with the City Council to check for Road schemes and their impact should be made for any site as a precaution.
2.3 A Highways assessment for Access and Parking will be required.
2.4 Public Right of Way (PROW) – Sites should be checked to discover any PROW that may cross them to ensure these are not compromised. Changing PROW is an expensive and time consuming business and the law protecting them is strong. It would be prudent to ensure that no infrastructure blocks a PROW and if the farm business plan is to include access by payment and a PROW also give access, the farm will not have the power to stop PROW users form accessing the farm free of charge.
2.5 Contaminated Land – Former industrial sites pose a risk through potential contamination of the ground; this issue is dealt with in other sections.
Planning Application - The Farm project would need planning permission.
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3.0 Realistic Estimates of Start-up Costs and ongoing revenue
There are pre-requisites to identifying realistic estimates of start-up and ongoing costs. These include confirmation of site location, completion of contaminated land assessment, chosen model of delivery, definitive list of activities for which the market needs to be assessed. In short, this information can only be fully defined when a site has been confirmed. However, it is possible to identify a range of estimates for different elements of infrastructure and staff salaries for similar projects that can help give an understanding of the costs that could be incurred.
3.1 Infrastructure – Buildings A city farm will need some form of building, whether it is simply a tool store and toilet facility, through to café, shop and multipurpose rooms for training, meetings, exhibitions etc. When considering the community needs identified through the Making Money go Further consultation documents and from discussions with council officers and councillors, it is clear that the city farm will need to have space for activities to engage and educate visitors/participants, and some form of trading facility to both provide an income and provide access to healthy food. As this approach is for ‘meanwhile’ use of vacant development sites, any built infrastructure will need to be constructed independently of the land on which it is situated. Having looked at other similar approaches elsewhere, it has been identified that containerised buildings would be suitable. These range from the very high specification container architecture down the most basic construction site office system. This form of building is gaining in both popularity and in innovation of design making it strong, flexible and good value for money, whilst creating a sense of modernity and high value. The quality of design and implementation is a reflection on the value placed on the people for who the project is designed for. This is no more clearly articulated in the Thomas Theorem ‘if men define situations as real, then they are real in the consequences’ (cited in Gross, 2007). If you want people to believe that they have value, then they must be show that they are valued. The project should aim to create space that looks and feels exciting to excite people. Porta- cabins and static caravans don’t do this, bespoke buildings are expensive, container architecture has a young but exciting pedigree to deliver this approach.
An indication of costs for a range of containerised buildings is given below.
The container café providing kitchen and server without seating at the National Railway Museum in York cost in the region of £35,000 for the structure and a further £35,000 for a high specification fit out including pizza ovens and ice cream parlour.
Container City in London have given an indicative price of £90-110 ft 2, this would equate to approximately £21,000 - £26,400 for a 30ft container converted with insulation, doors, windows and some electrical fittings
A standard 20ft ship container welfare unit, comprising canteen area with sink, worktop and water heater, WC with sink and water heater, drying room, 1000 litre fresh water tank and 1100 litre waste tank designed for use in the construction industry in the region of £8,500.
Café kitchen and seating area fit out will be dependent on size of kitchen and the food offer. Page 64 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 5
Toilet facilities are an essential element and for which composting toilets could be an option. A twin cubicle compost toilet facility in the region of £3,500. Information on this approach is available at: http://ari.farmgarden.org.uk/resources/ari-factsheets-mainmenu-147 and http://ari.farmgarden.org.uk/resources/library/search-resources?q=compost+toilets
The FCFCG currently have a fieldworker’s road trip looking at members’ compost toilets.
A clean water supply will be required for hand washing and rain water harvesting for growing.
3.2 Infrastructure – Growing Environment In the same way that the buildings would need to be independent of the land, so too would be the growing environment. This approach is common such as street scene raised beds. In addition to this standard type approach, growing containers to improve access to disabled, children and the elderly also need to be considered. Some examples are given below:
• Green circle provide bespoke fibre glass raised beds designed with the elderly and disabled in mind at a cost in the region of £7,000 for a circle of nine units
• Complete 2m 3 raised beds designed for the High Street in the region of £1,500 each
• Compost available locally in the region of £40 m 3. Any soils brought in for the project must meet the standards required. Further details are referenced in Appendix 3.
3.3 Infrastructure – Power supply The cost of connection to mains services may be difficult and expensive. Power can be generated on site through renewable energy and standard mobile fossil fuel approaches. A renewable energy approach would benefit the project as it would add another element that could be promoted but has an additional cost associated. Example given below:
A solar PV system of 3.5 to 4kWp may cost around £7,000 to purchase and install.
A biomass generator called a Power Pallet producing up to 10kw of electricity from woodchip is available from the US for £19,000 and a 20kw system for £27-35,000 plus shipping in the region of £3,000; a small container will also be needed to house the generator, in the region of £2,000. A power pallet could be fuelled by wood chip produced from tree management operations carried out by the City Council.
Micro Anaerobic Digester.
Alternatively a 10kw diesel generator in the region of £6,000
Propane gas could be used to provide energy for cooking.
3.4 Ongoing Running Costs A minimum of one fte manager for a community supported farm project such as this could expect a salary in the region of £20 – 25,000. Job share should be considered for this post to improve resilience and improve call out, and holiday cover. Further on-costs would need included in to cover such a post. A key element of the mangers’ role should be to recruit and retain volunteers.
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A management budget for the farm would be dependent on a number of variables including the location, amount of infrastructure, security, the presence of livestock, type of energy system chosen, etc.
Depending on the model of delivery, additional staff may be required to run a café, shop and training events, look after the livestock in the absence of the farm manager. Staff for many of these activities may be bought in, for example licenced use of a café and or shop space and contractor bought in to deliver training and outreach work dependent on demand. However, a minimum of one additional part time member of staff would be required to cover a seven day rota. To deliver the desired outputs the project will need to offer outreach to sustain the linkages between community hubs in Hull and the farm hub for which part time or contract staff would be required
Further discussion on the impacts on both start-up and ongoing costs this in part 4 below.
It should be noted that, through working in partnership with local organisations, it may be possible to reduce the cost of off the shelf solutions. This could be achieved, for example, by designing community and educational activities to construct elements of the project infrastructure and securing financial sponsorship and support in kind.
Summary Table of major cost estimates above.
Item Estimate Building Container architecture approach per container £21 – 27,000 Bespoke disabled access raised beds (9 of) £7,000 Raised beds Standard Raised beds 1m x 2m each £1,500 Compost toilet Twin Cubicle £3 500 On site power Power pallet (10KW) £17,000 generations Solar PV (4kw) £7,000 Staff costs Farm managers Salary in the region of £20-25,000pa + on costs Other staff costs £ dependent on model Estimate of total basic capital costs irrespective of site: other costs such as fencing, security, pathways etc will be site-specific. £34-55,000
To this must be added the costs of a higher quality building with much greater educational and other facilities (c £200K), plus the other site- specific costs, stocking (plants and livestock) and first year staffing, training, website, newsletters,
insurance and community engagement activities, £450,000 the cost could reach as an aspiration:
Other resource needs identified in Part 8 below.
These costs are indicative of key component costs, are relevant at time of submission and do not constitute all requirements or delivery and installation costs. Full cost appraisal can only be identified when a site has been agreed and site related issues are taken into account. Page 66 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 7
4.0 Potential Models of Delivery
This section presents some of the approaches to Urban Agriculture identified from visits to three UK growing projects and investigations into a number of other projects from the elsewhere in the UK and abroad. These approaches would be suitable to meanwhile use of land and have the potential to meet the local needs as identified in the City Councils ‘making money go further’ consultation. Specific examples highlighted below are Stalled Spaces (Glasgow); The Skip Garden (Kings Cross, London), Farmery (North Carolina, USA); Incredible Edible (Tormorden).
4.1 Stalled Spaces Stalled Spaces is a partnership approach between Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Housing Association to utilise vacant building sites in and around the city. The project provides grants, support, help and advice to local community groups that wish to enhance their local neighbourhood but creating community gardens and allotments. This approach is similar to other grant giving approaches. The partnership has identified an opportunity to improve community cohesion and whilst tackling urban degeneration, has advertised a themed grant scheme and supported grass root activity. The risk with such an approach, similar to other forms of short term capital funding is in maintaining the projects after key community volunteers who instigated the projects move on.
4.2 The Skip Garden The Skip Garden is a growing project situated within the hording of a major high rise residential development site in the centre of London. The project is run by Global Generation, a charity that gives young people opportunities to create a sustainable future. The garden is part-funded by the Big Lottery and the site and materials have been provided by The King’s Cross Partnership, BAM Nuttall, Carillion and Kier.
The garden uses local materials – and in this case that means building materials. So the gardens have been planted in upcycled skips, and the polytunnel was created using spare water pipes, scaffold netting and planks from the site.
The garden has moved some six times in just a few years as the development projects works its way around the site. The project’s success and popularity with the local community and construction staff, the developers are now interested to see if the project can be integrated in to the final scheme on a permanent basis. This acceptance of permanence should be a key long term outcome for this community farm in Hull
4.3 The Farmery The Farmery is a novel approach to reducing food miles and reconnecting people with food. It is designed to create an incredible shopping experience and innovative growing system from low cost ship containers and modular greenhouse components. It is a private enterprise, pick your own concept that could be adapted as a social project. Its sustainability is enhanced by growing high value crops such as salad and specialist mushrooms.
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4.4 Incredible Edible The Incredible Edible Todmorden project is an urban gardening project started in 2008 by Pamela Warhurst, Mary Clear and a group of like-minded people in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The project aims bring people together and through actions around local food, help change behaviour toward the environment and build a kinder and more resilient world.
Incredible Edible at Todmordon has proved to be tremendous success in getting individuals and business in the town to start growing on any waste land or using containers to grow a selection of vegetables, salads and herbs. The novel approach of encouraging the residents ‘to help themselves’ also proved to be a success in creating ownership. It has now developed the brand ‘Incredible Edible’ with many cities adopting it worldwide.
Having started out as an unregistered grassroots project, Incredible edible has registered two companies with Companies House: Incredible Edible Todmorden Ltd to take forward work locally to Todmordon including the Aquaponics project, and Incredible Edible Ltd, an umbrella company, tasked with spreading the message, getting more towns to be incredible and running events
Aquaponics is a system that combines farming fish with Hydroponics, a plant growing system that uses nutrient rich water as the growing medium in place of soil. In Aquaponics the fish are farmed in the water used in the Hydroponics process. In combination, the two systems utilise each other’s waste creating a sustainable food production system.
The example given above show how a range of business models could be adopted to deliver a City Farm Project. However, given the comments in part 1 above and parts 9 and 15 below: the need to provide a location that raises aspiration; concerns voiced around territory and potential exclusion of groups due location or project ownership and areas of expertise, it would be appropriate to consider creating a new body, independent of existing organisations located in the City, to set up and run the city farm. In this way, not only would the farm be located in a neutral space it would be able to partner with any organisation willing to work with it to achieve the project aims and deliver services.
The business model chosen could be a charity, Co-op or Community Interest Company (CIC), each having its own advantages and disadvantages. A CIC may be the best approach in the first instance due to its low set up and administrative costs compared to the time taken to form a Charity. A CIC may also be preferred over a co-op due to its governance and decision making structures and processes to support the Farm in its first year or two, consideration should be given to working in partnership with an established organisation with close values, principles and a practical contribution to initially nurture this project with the ongoing support from the Federation of City farms and Community Gardens who have over 30 years of experience. An approach to an existing independent exemplar City Farm or Care Farm may be appropriate.
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5.0 Potential Activities
To increase resilience against financial risk, the farm should be set up to delivery commercial enterprises. These enterprises would then provide the activities around which education, training and development can take place. The list below identified key areas of enterprise
These enterprises can then be used to provide educational opportunities by involving participants in those enterprises. In some circumstances these activities may be paid for, a model for this approach can be seen operating in some care farms. Others may be through volunteering or supervision and transport paid for through grants. These activities could be tailored to deliver education, training and development on target issues. The matrix below shows the links between enterprise activity and target issue.
Growing produce
Enterprise
Activity
Target
Issue
Selling of Produceof Selling Fruit,& mushrooms veg meat eggs plants Café Trainingcourses Events BeeKeeping Health X X X X X X X
Nutrition X X X X X X X
Resilience X X X
Personal Finance. X X X X X X
Food awareness X X X X X X X
Sustainability X X X X X X X X
Environment X X X X X
Community X X X X X X X X Cohesion
Employability skills
Team working X X X X
Communication X X X X X X Skills
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Project X X X X X X X X Management
Responsibility X X X X X X X X X
Timekeeping X X X X X X
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6.0 Health and Safety Issues
City Farms pose complex Health and Safety issues. They provide access to many of the hazards of farming, one of the most hazardous occupations in the UK, to members of the public who are often very unfamiliar with such risks. City farms compound this problem as they often target vulnerable people who may be less risk aware. In addition to this miss- match of Hazards and Risk Perception, additional responsibilities to protect vulnerable people as part of wider Safe Guarding requirements needs to be addressed
6.1 Despite this need to carefully address health and safety issues, city farms flourish without major incident throughout the UK by having robust Health and Safety systems in place that thoroughly assess all risk and mitigate against the likelihood of harm occurring. These community farm facilities remain accessible since they first started in the early 1970s, for hundreds of thousands of people each year, in addition to the million plus visitors to rural farms, and the expanding number of farms within school grounds. Risk is manageable.
6.2 With respect to the proposed City Farm for Hull, we recommend a threefold Health and Safety systems approach. First, the site will require an initial Audit to identify existing Hazards and mitigation to reduce risk of Harm caused by their presence. Second, the Model of Delivery needs to be assessed to identify additional risks posed. Ordinarily these aspects would be considered together. However, as the proposal is to create a project that is moveable, it is appropriate to approach them separately so that the assessments can travel with the project. To carry out such assessments, not only will the project be taken in its local context but we recommend that knowledge and evidence from elsewhere, where similar delivery models have been adopted, is considered to ensure best practice. The third approach will be to assess each activity both in its own right considering its inherent risks (this assessment can also be informed by experience from elsewhere) and in its location/setting to identify the interplay between the activity, the specific location and other activities that may impact upon it.
6.3 It is recommended that once Risk Assessments are carried out, they will form part a Health and Safety System of Assessment and Review where reviews take place annually, after any significant change, after any serious incident or where quarterly inspections of accident and near miss records indicate an underlying cause for concern.
The following lists provide some specific examples of the Risk Assessments required for each of the three elements:
6.31 Site Health and Safety • Contaminated Land. As discussed above, the potential for disturbing buried contamination needs to be addressed • Slips, trips and falls • Assessment of existing structures, trees and adjacent buildings • Access during closed periods. Page 71 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 12
6.32 Model of Delivering Health and Safety ● Container Architecture: Non-traditional approach to construction will require both architectural services and those of the manufacturer to ensure that the structures are safe and durable both in themselves and in location ● Growing Container Construction: Assessment will cover issues such as stability, particularly where trees will be grown, construction materials to avoid splinters or corrosion leading to chemical leaching in to skin or plant material that may be consumed ● Path Construction (if required): Assessed for Slips Trip and Falls ● Livestock: The presence of livestock introduces a range of substances hazardous to health for which appropriate COSHH assessments will be needed. Further to the presence of livestock their behaviour may also be a Hazard. Issues such as biting, butting and entrapment. Most livestock related hazards can be designed out with others dealt with through managing access and training ● Preparation and consumption of food and drink: Following normal Environmental Health approaches to the preparation and consumption of food and drink in a non-contact clean area within the farm environment, hazards can be designed out and risks reduced. HACCP process needs to be put in place for use of home grown produce in food preparation ● Soils: Provenance of soils to ensure appropriateness for the intended use and the use of livestock manures to supplement soils needs to be addressed ● Water harvesting: Assessment of water quality for use in growing if harvesting from local structures to prevent contamination.
6.33 Activities Health and Safety The following list provides an indication of the range and types of generic and specific Risk Assessments required. We recommend that the activity based Risk Assessment are set out as building blocks starting with a generic Working at the Farm Assessment with linked guidance notes for staff and volunteers. This will include all the hazards that staff and volunteers are likely to come across regardless of the activity they are undertaking. Subsequent Risk Assessments then build on this assessment by highlighting additional risks above and beyond those already identified to avoid repetition and increase usability. Each Risk Assessment will indicate any pre-requisite that needs to be taken into account for that activity. Examples include: • Working at the Farm • Working with the public • Working with vulnerable groups • Working with offenders • Working with livestock • Working with hand tools • Working with power tools and equipment • Working in a kitchen
We recommend that as part of the Systems Approach, all new comers, whether staff or volunteers will be required to complete an agreed induction and read any risk assessment and complete any identified training before carrying out a task. Further, we recommend that staff and volunteers sign a centrally held record to confirm that these actions have been carried Page 72 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 13
out. This type of system is a common approach adopted but similar types of projects and records can also be used to provide evidence towards staff and volunteers employability skills. Health and Safety, therefore, will be used both as a management tools to ensure the safety of anyone involved and as a training and development aid to delivery wider social benefits.
6.4 Livestock In advance of introducing livestock to the farm would clear guidance and advice is available to follow in Preventing or controlling ill health from animal contact at visitor attractions - Industry Code of Practice .
The FCFCG has significant expertise and there are a number of established community farms in Yorkshire who are happy to mentor starter projects.
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7.0 Legal Issues and Regulations
Key legal issues and regulations that City Farms need to consider include the following
• Animal Health • Public Liability Insurance • Tenancy agreements with land owner or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) • Memorandum of Understanding and other contracts to support provision of services • Safeguarding • Fire Safety
7.1 Animal Health If agricultural livestock are to be kept on site on a temporary or permanent basis, including for one day events and shows, the farm must first obtain a holding number, register with the local Trading Standards Animal Health Department and appoint a vet. Agricultural livestock includes poultry (unless fewer than 50 birds at all times during the year), pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, and deer.
Animal welfare legislation is based on the Five Freedoms. These underpin all animal health regulations whether for agricultural animals or others , the five freedoms are:
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
2. Freedom from Discomfort
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress
Specifically related to agricultural livestock, the recording of animal movement regulations and must be adhered to along with individual Codes of Practice for the Welfare of each of the agricultural livestock species and further regulations on the transport of livestock, and control of diseases. Specific additional regulations apply to the licencing of events where animals are involved and veterinary medicine storage and recording regulations.
In addition to the regulations relating to animals, where the public have access to livestock, additional requirements around the prevention of the transmission of disease between animal and human come in to play. (see Industry Code of Practice).
7.2 Public Liability Animals add a significant extra burden in terms of regulation and control measures to ensure both stock and people are kept safe. The risks of this or problems will have an impact on the
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cost of public liability insurance. However, these issues are not new or unique and should not be used as an excuse to avoid keeping livestock as the benefit they bring is significant.
Public Liability insurance is available from specialist insurers such as the NFU Mutual who can also help with managing risk by providing advice and guidance.
7.3 Tenancy agreements with land owner or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) There are examples of where communities have undertaken meanwhile projects on vacant sites without permission from the land owner, either because the owner is unknown or has not responded to request. This approach would not be advisable for this project as Developers have repatriated their land at very short notice and would pose a significant risk to the viability of a significant investment in a meanwhile project.
Ideally, a tenancy should be entered into and MOUs may be suitable for outlying growing containers, for example in adjacent car parks or street scene. The Stalled Spaces project has published advice on these matters although these must be taken with English legal advice due to Stalled Spaces operating under the slightly different Scottish legal system.
Meanwhile leases can be drawn up when a piece of land currently not being used is leased to a community group who use the site for cultivation. The advantage is that land that would otherwise lay empty and unused can be put to good use by community groups in a way that brings benefits and opportunities for local people and the land owner. The obvious disadvantage is that much hard work could go into establishing a site, only for that work to be disrupted if the land then reverts to its original purpose in a short time period.
The FCFCF manages the Community Land Advisory Service and would be able to give detailed support and advice to the projects
7.4 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and other contracts MOUs and/or contracts will be required for the farm to provide services such as those delivered by Care Farms to ensure that services are delivered to specification and all parties are aware of their responsibilities. Care Farms provide a range of services similar to day care or support services but are based on farms. Further information on Care Farming in provided in Parts 9 & 14 and at http://www.carefarminguk.org/
7.5 Safeguarding The Farm will be providing a range of services, some of which are likely to be targeted at schools and young people in other settings. It may also target other vulnerable people. To ensure appropriate protection for any vulnerable people, it will be necessary to draw up a safeguarding policy and processes. There is a significant resource within HCC to offer advice and support in this respect.
7.6 Fire Safety City farms are at risk of fire, particularly where livestock are involved and hay and/or straw may be kept. In addition, the management of animals in the event of a fire is a key issue that
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needs to be planned for. Fire is also a risk where buildings are involved. Therefore, a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment needs to be carried out. Insurers and the fire brigade will also require this to be done and, again, where animals are involved, the Fire Service will want to know key contact details and have access to a contingency plan for evacuating animals.
Fire risk assessment will also be necessary where using novel building methods to ensure standards are met and systems in place for evacuation and mustering.
The Fire Service is usually good at providing this type of advice at the planning stage.
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8.0 Other Resources Required
See section 3 for comments on ongoing costs.
Resources will be needed to cover costs of regulatory processes such as planning permission, environmental health processes for contaminated land etc...
Governance will be required to support a steering group, board of trustees/directors depending on the business model chosen. As indicated in part 4, governance support may be provided through an existing exemplar farm project until such times as it is ready for full independence.
Further advice, support for the project via a mentoring programme for the farm manager and/or Trustees/Directors where they come from the local community without strong background in Social Entrepreneurship would be advisable. This could be supported through CSR programmes of local business and industry.
Further resources outside those identified in part 3 will include office furniture and IT equipment including a projector, screen, folding tables and stacking chairs. Some of this equipment could be acquired through recycling of IT refresh programmes form HCC or other large business.
Livestock buildings could for instance be purchased and/or built by volunteers under supervision, or be constructed by a company (as part of its CSR or traineeship) or by college students.
In support of events, particularly those around food and cooking, a set of gazebos and gas hobs would also be necessary. These could be funded through a targeted grant application in support of food sharing events as suggested by members of the Black Environment Network to improve community cohesion, see part 9 below.
Hand tools, wheel barrows hoses and other gardening and livestock related equipment such as troughs feeders and drinkers for poultry, vet medicine cabinets etc… not mentioned in section 3.
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9.0 Potential Partners and Links to Complementary Activities
9.1 The Crossings http://www.hullharp.org.uk/the-crossings Homeless hostel situated on Great Union Street. A new £5million building catering for 46 people at any one time. They have an outreach team who are keen to involve the clients with practical activity. They already travel to various sites, including East Hull Community Farm. The work they do, has found to be very beneficial in re-integrating the clients back into society. The outreach team expressed an interest in being involved in a city centre farm, as there would be no additional cost in transport.
9.2 Food 360 http://www.probeltd.co.uk/community/community/pages/food360casestudies.html
Food 360 was borne from an original lottery funded bid approx. 4 years ago. It has now acquired funding for a further 3 years. Food 360 is a part of Probe (Hull) Ltd www.probeltd.co.uk the primary aim is to encourage and educate the residents of east Hull in taking a different approach to food, both in growing and cooking. They are very active in running courses and events and are involved in many city wide projects.
9.3 A Better Life for All An organisation dedicated to tackle children and teen domestic violence and sexual exploitation. Who have a parent or carer in custody. This is a new charity run by people who used to work in the prison service, who saw a need and decided to do something about it. They have expressed an interest in being able to use the services at the city centre farm in helping these young people. They would like a facility on the farm which would act as a base to deliver courses and offer advice and guidance. The intention is to get the young people actively involved with practical projects on the farm.
9.4 East Hull Community Farm (EHCF) http://www.easthullcommunityfarm.co.uk EHCF has been operational as a community farm since 1995. The only city farm in Hull, there expertise is in being a site for students with Special Educational Needs who work on the farm as well as receiving classroom training. Since January 2013 Food 360 have a section of the farm dedicated to a growing area, looking at different aspects of growing. A building has also been converted to a training and discovery centre.
There has been some discussion regarding the possible duplication of services between EHCF and the proposed city farm. However they specialise in working with students with Special Educational Needs and so has a different target audience to the proposed city farm. They do not get involved in running agricultural or horticultural courses. They do however have products which could be marketed and sold at the city centre farm, sausages, eggs and bacon this would be of help to the farm, as they only have a limited number visiting their east Hull site.
9.5 Food 4 Hull http://www.transitionhull.co.uk/%20food4hull The aims of Food 4 Hull are as Follows:
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• Identify, amplify, support, promote and celebrate the existing work around food in Hull and surrounding areas
• Build awareness of, and increase access to, sustainable, local food and reduce food miles
• Strive to reduce food poverty
• Promote the links between diet and health
• Explore the recycling of food waste
• Bring together and work with local stakeholders including local communities, businesses, policy makers and public health advocates
• Enhance long-term food security for all
• Create learning and training opportunities to support the above aims
• Food4Hull is a not-for-profit organisation.
9.6 BAMEEN Black and Minority Ethnic Environment Network Hull http://www.bameen.org.uk/ /Black Environment network (BEN) www.ben- network.org.uk
A meeting with BAMEEN/BEN took place on the 3 rd December in which views were taken on the Farm project. The meeting unanimously agreed that the farm would be ideal as a site to demonstrate the different cultures to include growing and the cooking of food. The social aspect was targeted as a priority identifying that to be able to grow veg and salads together, then to eat together, has been proven to break down barriers. This fact was treated with enthusiasm, with discussion leading to the possibility of each ethnic group being able to prepare and cook food and share use of container space.
Such an approach would make a valuable contribution to social cohesion and communication between the different ethnic groups in the city.
Notes from the meeting can be seen in Appendix 2.
9.7 Yorkshire Wildlife Trust http://www.ywt.org.uk/ The Wildlife Trust has expressed an interest in working with the farm on two levels. To create a miniature farm environment to highlight interactions between food production and wildlife, for example, pollination; and as a potential supplier of meat to the shop and or café from their own livestock reared locally on nature reserves.
The Trust already has a presence within Hull and have established a wildlife area in Pearson park as well as numerous projects throughout the city. One example would be Log Lands on Longhill which has been supported by YWT who have organised volunteer days etc.
9.8 Hull University http://www2.hull.ac.uk/ Hull and York Medical School (HYMS), part of Hull University are looking for locations where students can get out into hard to reach populations in the local community to work gain Page 79 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 20
experience of health issues in such situations. HYMS have expressed an interest in working with the farm to help with advice and training in Health and Nutrition if the farm can help with access to the target communities. This would have wider benefits of raising the profile and accessibility of Higher education to groups typically under represented at university, breaking down barriers and raising aspirations whilst supporting improvements in health education in hard to reach groups and experience of such groups with the next generation of doctors.
9.9 Arthur Street Trading http://www.arthursorganics.com/ Is the only organic box scheme based in Hull, from their site on Arthur Street. They have recently partnered with Food 4 Hull to increase their community involvement. They deliver organic produce in Hull and the surrounding area. They have expressed an interest in being involved in running a food hub at the city centre farm. The city centre farm would be an ideal fit with the opportunity of selling other related products in an environment similar to their own. Rental would be payable or a possible franchise opportunity.
9.10 Stockbridge Technology Centre http://www.stockbridgetechnology.co.uk An experimental horticultural site near Selby incorporating Discovering our Countryside which works within schools promoting the countryside and agriculture with the use of videos. Stockbridge is also involved in an LED growing project that could have a demonstrator unit at the Farm. They may also be interested in renting space for an operating base and use of training room.
9.11 RHS www.rhs.org.uk The RHS would like to be involved with the farm. They are keen to expand in Hull as they are developing a community project to encourage residents into growing. Their aim is to establish accredited training facilities which will offer practical as well as theoretical teaching. They are at present only working with a small number of primary schools in Hull. The City farm would be an ideal central location to base their activities.
9.12 Densholm Care Farm http://www.densholmefarm-action.co.uk Densholm Care Farm has expressed an interest in working with the city farm. This could be a useful partnership allowing knowledge transfer in areas of mental health and wellbeing, running training programmes and other areas of synergy and also provide assistance in gaining recognition as a facility providing paid for services. See Part 14 for more information on Care Farms.
9.13 Examples of organisations with an element of ‘making money go further’ SEARCH – Working with churches in Hull focussing on debt management and ‘living better for less in Hull’ they have connections to trained counsellors who work in many churches in Hull. Two staff are employed to encourage and educate the churches to look at the whole aspect of food. Cookery courses are undertaken, from basic bread making to preparing and cooking a ‘take a way’ meal at home for a fraction of the cost. They also have a full range of easy to follow recipes with the total and serving cost.
CAP (Christians against Poverty) - Another church based group which has a small presence in Hull they help anyone who is experiencing debt problems. They deal directly with the creditors and arrange mutual payment plans. Page 80 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 21
Hull & East Yorkshire Credit Union (HEYCU) - a co-operative business that provides financial services on a "not for profit" basis to thousands of local people. HEYCU has been working in Hull for 11 years and has lots of achievements to its name. It was founded in 1999 by a group of Hull City Council workers with a passion about the potential for credit unions to make a difference in Britain. They firmly believed that the best way to achieve their aims was to work in partnership with all kinds of other organisations, for mutual benefit.
Hull University Enterprise Centre - Aims to contribute to social and economic development through supporting the development of innovative new enterprises. The Enterprise Centre acts as a central point of access at the University of Hull for activities which will enhance enterprise skills and inspire business start-ups, supporting and driving activities for students, graduates and colleagues, as well members of the wider community. The Centre also works with schools to help create a more enterprising culture.
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10.0 Social, Economic and Environmental Benefits
The Social, Economic and Environmental benefits of both greening brownfield sites and community engagement in volunteering, growing produce and rearing livestock are well documented anecdotally and in research literature. Above the immediately measurable benefits identified in some of the commissioned research are the longer term enhanced outcomes for individuals and communities and the consequent improvements in community cohesion that help reduce demand on local services. These harder to measure, wider impacts take longer to achieve and necessarily longer to measure and do not fit well with narrowly defined KPIs that require delivery over short time frames. Therefore, it is necessary to look at academic and charity funded literature for evidence rather than the short term practitioner analysis of individual project to get a sense of the wider, longer term benefits of participation.
Evidence gathered by Mind to assess the effectiveness of Ecotherapy, an intervention that improves mental and physical health and wellbeing by supporting people to be active outdoors: doing gardening, food growing or environmental work (Mind 2013) found that it:
• Increase participants resilience levels so that they are better able to withstand difficult times and have a supportive community around them, • Participants adopted healthier lifestyles including increased physical activity levels • Participants felt more involved in their local community, reducing social isolation • Participants felt more connected with the natural world and adopted environmentally friendly behaviours
“Urban agriculture benefits the economy, environment, and well-being of those active in the industry, as well as residents who enjoy its products. It plays a role in programs and projects that target health and nutrition, the environment, enterprise development, income generation [and] youth and women.” Smit and Ratta (2001) Ch 7 p.1.
“Perhaps the biggest benefit [of city farms] of all could be the connection between the themes, which allows so many benefits to be delivered by one project…….The overlap between environmental and health themes demonstrate how key the natural environment is to our wellbeing……..The evidence highlights that in deprived areas projects raise the aspirations of local people and provide them with the skills to bring about positive changes to both their own lives, and their neighbourhood” Quayle (2007) p.79
“The physical and social qualities of garden participation awaken the senses and stimulate a range of responses that influence interpersonal processes (learning, affirming, and expressive experiences) and social relationships that are supportive of positive health-related behaviours and overall health.” Knapp et al (2011) taken from abstract.
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11.0 Risks and Risk Management
Risks - Likelihood and impact scores
Green Low risk Likelihood x impact = risk rating
Amber Medium risk < 10 = Low 10 - 14 = Medium > 14 = High
Red High risk
No. Nature of Risk Consequence Inherent risk Action that will eg reduce, avoid, accept, share/transfer and any potential cost (you may want Likelihood Impact 1-5 L x I to add a risk budget column) 1-25 1-5 1-5
1-5 (5 being most likely)
1 No land available No Farm 3 5 15 HCC to engage for land internally and externally. Raise profile of project to engage private land owners to make land available. Consider grant application to buy land for permanent farm. Consider grant application to carry out gorilla gardening, vegetable growing in amenity beds and in city parks
2 Un able to secure Enterprise elements of the 3 5 15 Look to private business to run elements of the project funds for buildings project will not be possible such as the cafe and shop to secure investment Set up growing project without buildings and build project to gain support for future funding
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3 No take up from Reduced impact. Targets 1 3 3 Continued consultation with stakeholders to ensure stakeholders outcomes not delivered activities are appropriately designed and delivered. effectively
4 Accidents or health and Reduced impact. Targets 1 5 5 Health and safety procedures in place. External safety issue (including outcomes not delivered scrutiny of policies and processes to ensure high livestock related) effectively or standards. Livestock impacting on reputation Farm closure management and procedures to highest standards and or causing shut down scrutinised by external expertise such as Animal Health of project Dept.
5 On-going revenue Impact on service delivery 2 4 8 Detailed business plan required with projects assessed costs not met by through lack of maintenance, for economic sustainability. Any grant funded activities, income inability to pay staff/contractors. grant applications scrutinised for economic sustainability Services stop Ongoing support sought from private and public through sponsorship, events and other fund raising
6 Land required by Cost of moving to new location 5 5 25 The nature of the farm is that this will happen. The developer after project project must factor removal costs into the programme and installation not overextend the farm infrastructure without setting aside money for removal or be prepared to sell elements of the project Agreement with land owner over minimum period of use and notice period to allow time to raise any necessary funds for removal, to find new site and make adjustments to ongoing projects to ensure smooth transition
7 No land available at a see 1 above 3 5 15 Re-assess farm project to see if still required/desired. time when the farm Consider how it has developed over time and look to see need to vacate if a different approach could/needs to be adopted. property Discuss with developer whether and how the project could be integrated into development, innovation of design and delivery also, see 1 above.
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8 Influence through There is a risk that 1 3 3 Any offers to contribute will require ethical scrutiny. Any sponsors sponsorship/grants funders and grant, finance or subsidy that has conditions attached others who contribute to the should be tested against a set of predetermined project farm may try and influence the policies on funding. Grants restricting the farms ability to project for their own ends engage in support of its core vision should not be impacting on ethos of the considered. project, reducing its ability to serve the community and affect its reputation
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12.0 Potential Income Streams and Sources of External Funding
12.1 Income Streams Café – this could be licenced to an external provider or managed in house
Sales of produce – Produce grown on farm and from other local sources should be sold to provide an income. Depending on the volumes of produce and demand, this could be set up as a shop on site and run in house or by licence to a Trader. Arthur Street Traders have already expressed an interest in a potential food hub and the Yorkshire Wildlife are interested in selling their meat reared on local nature reserves through the farm.
Sales of Services
• Care Farm type services (see Part 14) could be sold to service commissioning bodies such as the NHS, Probation Service, Youth Service, Education Service etc… • Training courses for local people and businesses. The Skip Garden have delivered Training to the Developers of the site on which they are located
Rental of Facilities – If a multipurpose room could be provided, i.e. through additional container buildings, Room hire in a novel environment within the city would have potential.. This could be rented for use as a meeting space, exhibition space, training room for external providers. This model is used at Newcastle City Farm.
Events – through pay on entry special events, licencing of stalls and trade stands etc… can provide income at peak times.
12.2 Sources of External Funding There is a range of potential sources of external funding, from and business and individuals through sponsorship, croudsource funding and legacies, Corporate Social Responsibility programmes to mainstream grant giving bodies. HCC has internally funded support for securing external funding through Hull4Funding. North Bank Forum are also providing free Fundraiser training. Some examples of the many sources of external funding are identified below:
National Lottery - Has a record in providing both capital and revenue funding for City Farm Projects
LEADER - Funding and support for securing training. Typically for rural areas but a partnership with a Rural based scheme such as Densholm Care Farm may enable access to LEADER funding
The SIB Group –Provides funding to help local community groups become financial sustainable. Will support capital and revenue to purchase and refurbish assets and workspaces.
Allen Lane Foundation – focus funding on community projects that will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems, is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination, and encourages or enables unpopular groups to share in the life of the whole community. Page 86 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 27
Ashden – supports local energy solutions that cut carbon, protect the environment, reduce poverty and improve people’s lives.
Acorn Fund - Hull Business Development Fund Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce and a local 'Enterprise Gap Fund' providing financial support to business start-ups unable to find funding from traditional sources and who can demonstrate job creation and sustainability potential.
Co-operative – Offer small grants that address a community issue, provide a good long-term benefit to the community, support co-operative values and principles and ideally be innovative in approach. Member of the local Cooperative Area Committee have expressed an interest in receiving a grant application from the City Farm
Reaching Communities BLF – Funds projects that can help meet the aim of improving communities and the lives of people most in need. Grants are available for more than £10,000 for projects lasting up to five years to cover a range of costs including salaries and equipment, limit of £100,000 for capital costs such as land, buildings or refurbishment. Higher levels of funding are also available for projects that have significant impact
12.3 In addition to the above, the vision for the farm sits well with the themes in Hull’s programme for the City of Culture. This fit could help the Farm secure funding as part of the wider City of Culture activities. It is important to note with the successful bid to City of Culture the farm represents a significant contribution to the role food plays in the culture of Hull.
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13.0 Learning from Elsewhere
Examples of projects that provide potential templates and/or ideas that can be incorporated into a city farm in Hull are provided in Section 5 of this report. Further learning from elsewhere is also highlighted in Part 10
In addition to the above, this report has touched on the value of care farming. This section will explore this area further with some direct examples of practice locally and academic evidence.
Care Farming UK states that Care Farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices . Care farms provide: health, social or educational care services for one or a range of vulnerable groups of people; a supervised, structured programme of farming-related activities; services on a regular basis for participants. They are commissioned to provide care farming services by referral .
The nearest Care Farm to Hull identified in the research is Densholm Care Farm in Great Hatfield near Hornsea. Denholms is an exemplar Care Farm whose purpose is ‘To Share The Farm With Those Who May Benefit’ and are an East Riding of Yorkshire Council Registered Day Care Provider ( http://densholmefarm-action.co.uk/ ). Denholm is a Care Farm with significant experience in working with vulnerable groups, particularly Special Educational Needs but also with a range of other groups. They provide local evidence of the benefits of farming related activities.
Willowdene Care Farm located in Shropshire, specialising in Substance Misuse recovery with offenders and those involved in violent, domestic and sexual abuse. The Care Farm has been in operation for over 20 years. With residential and day care facilities. The Farms offers a range of therapies and courses and is a registered training provider with several land based industry awarding bodies. Willowdene’s success is reflected in the high numbers of clients that go on to employment having completed their therapy and training. (http://ritesocialenterprises.org.uk )
Nineveh Ridge Care Farm in Worcestershire works with SEN groups, substance miss use and people suffering from mental heal issues. This care farm specialises on clients who have individualised budgets rather than block provision and relies on providing a quality environment and services to remain sustainable. Nineveh Ridge also combines it care farm work with regular farm visits for school children and other groups and hold events. (http://www.ninevehridgecarefarm.org.uk/ )
Care farms provide a shared, non-hierarchical and comfortable space within which everyone can contribute productively for the benefit of the community as a whole. Some of their value is in the range of activities, catering for people of all sorts of abilities and skill sets: everyone can contribute and therefore has a value. (Leck 2013) It is this sense of being able to contribute that helps raise people’s self-esteem and contributes to improved mental health.
Rural based, care farms show how farming and growing related activities can be used to support people in real difficulties, providing important services that can help them get back on the their feet and active in society. In addition, Nineveh Ridge is one example of how this can Page 88 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 29
be integrated into a farm visitor attraction that provides access to farming and education in the wider society. This type of approach could be adopted in the city environment to target specific issues identified in the Making Money Go Further consultation providing high quality services that represent good value for money targeting the whole person and the community in which they are from.
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14.0 Stakeholder Views
A consultation event was held on 28 th November at Community Enterprise centre. This event was targeted at stakeholders who may be interested using or interacting with the farm is some way. The event was structures in a way to encourage the participants to consider approached to city farming from the UK and elsewhere and, in the light of the local context, consider what benefits a city farm could be of value to them, their organisation or their client groups. 41 people attended, representing 36 separate organisations. Assistance with event management was provided by staff from Northbank Forum and Hull City Council. IT support was provided by Jerome Whittingham.
Participants were encouraged to discuss the potential and record their thoughts by writing on the paper table cloths, verbally by providing group feedback during the session and by completing pledge forms indicating responses linked to the individual.
To further raise awareness of the City Farm feasibility Study and to encourage more interested parties to comment, we set up a web page, www.rootedinhull.org.uk and twitter site, @rooted in Hull.
14.1 Feedback was collected, collated and analysed from which the following key themes have been identified.
14.11 Training and education Stakeholder views focused on Education for schools and teachers, growing and innovations in growing, sustainability, Meat and how to rear and prepare it and employability skills including entrepreneurship
14.12 Business approach Comments reflecting the business approach were frequent with questions focusing on ownership and structures and how the community could feed into decision making. Points were also raised on finance for the project including suggestions on sponsorship and partnerships with local business. Importantly, several recommendations were made on the quality of the infrastructure to reflect a flagship model acting as a hub for other satellite projects including those related to other non-food, environmental issues. There was also a clear desire to keep the money in the area by selling local produce including fish and shellfish. A café was mentioned on several occasions.
14.13 Partnership Partnership working had very strong presence throughout the analysis with partnership working recommended for community groups, private business, schools and colleges all being well represented.
It is important to repeat that with the successful bid to City of Culture the farm represents a significant contribution to the role food plays in the culture of Hull
14.14 Methods of Delivery This theme was mostly represented by comments on growing methods including vertical growing and aquaponics. Page 90 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 31
14.15 Inclusion of Livestock Animals or livestock received lots of attention but not in any specific way. One comment did mention how animals can hold people’s attention when growing produce is a bit slow and a further comment on using animals to reflect the City’s heritage
14.16 Wildlife and the environment Wildlife and the environment was well represented with comments on green spaces in the city, pollinators, how the city farm could represent the relationship between commercial farming and the environment and wider environmental themes including renewable energy being picked out
14.17 Pledge Forms Thirty five pledge forms have been returned so far. Key areas of interest from the pledge forms were
• Attending events around food issues • Volunteering Learning about vegetables and growing • Contributing staff time • Delivering training • Receiving training • Food markets • Food related competitions
Full results and comments made on the Pledge forms is provided in Appendix 2
14.2 Consultation with the Business Community It was not felt appropriate to officially consult the Business Community about the Farm as the Vision for the Farm has not been agreed. Once the Vision has been drawn out of the communities for which the Farm is identified to serve, a separate Consultation event should take place with the Business Community to allow them to indicate if and how they would like to be involved to support that Vision.
However, some actors in the business community are aware of the project and have had the opportunity to pledge there general support in favour of the Farm. These include Richard Ralph, a Hull based Architect who has provided some Architectural plans and drawings free of charge to help with the consultation event, Sam Whittaker, Esteem, who has seen the plans and expressed Esteems interest and support, Jerome Whittingham, Hull based Photographer who provided IT support with the Website, Twitter feed and Consultation event free of charge.
Richard Ralph also indicated clients that would be interested in discussing support for the Café; The University of Hull Business School would like to support and facilitate discussions with local business.
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15.0 Potential Customers/Service Users /visitors
Of the 36 organisations represented, approximately 15 groups would be classed as service users. These tend to be groups already experienced with growing projects and who expressed their interest in being involved.
The remaining organisations could be classed as customers. Many expressed an interest in delivering courses or organising other groups to take part. This would generate some income.
Visitor numbers are subject to events and activities. Evidence gathered from groups involved with growing in the community suggests an increased interest in the ‘green agenda’. The presence of a local food café and food hub would help to increase visitor numbers. In addition, location will have an impact on visitor numbers. Comments made during the consultation event suggested that residents are territorial - they will use the city centre but feel uncomfortable in other residential areas of the city.
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16.0 Sustainability Issues
It is widely accepted that sustainability rests on three pillars – Community, Environment and Economy. The key to the sustainability of a City farm will rest equally on each of these three pillars. As outlined in this report, a need for a city farm has been identified there is significant support for it from the local community. With respect to its impact on the environment, strategic objectives of a City farm should incorporate the impact of food and food waste on the environment including the impact of different growing methods and the use of inputs. This report has outlined suggestions from the stakeholder meetings that meet these issues and are achievable. For example, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust input on conservation reared meat and wildlife area within the farm, on site renewable energy and the use of recycled materials. Perhaps the more difficult element to deliver is the economic pillar. The examples below provide insight into how economic sustainability can be achieved.
Set up costs can be prohibitive. Some of these could be waived or offset in kind for services provided. For Example, the costs of submitting a planning application for the City farm could be met by the City Council as a sign of goodwill or in return for maintaining a nearby public garden for a year.
Some projects are free to enter but charge for car parking. This encourages the use of public transport. Parking charges could be shared between the HCC and the farm base on an assessment of uplift in fees following opening of the farm.
Kings Cross Skip Garden was given access to waste from the development site reducing the cost of materials. Major waste producers in Hull may be in a position to do the same. One potential opportunity is the waste wood and or wood chip from the management of cityscape trees, this could be donated to use in a wood burning stove or power pallet if these technologies were incorporated into the design.
West Midlands Care Farming helped negotiate a block contract for a number of fledgling Care Farms in its first two years to deliver services to Worcestershire County Drugs and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT). The contract included support from DAAT. This enabled care farms them to build capacity in this area of need. Following the end of the contract, they were in a position to continue to offer these valuable services on a commercial basis. This approach could be used for the Hull farm
A Worcestershire Social Forestry project secured lottery funding to provide trial places for adults with mental health issues. This included revenue funding for an occupational the therapist to assess the benefits of the project. This enabled the project to build capacity and provide evidence of the benefits of Social Forestry to its clients and commissioning bodies improving its success in winning future contracts
Sales of goods and services must be a keystone of the City Farm:
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An onsite café that could provide three ways of providing an income: to provide refreshment to visitors; to provide food as part of service provision to clients; as a training kitchen reducing staff costs or receiving an income for training delivery.
Sales of produce grown on farm and grown locally.
Provision of lunchtime and post work short training courses. For example, a lunch time bites series or lunch hour sessions for city workers where a short, 45 minute talk/training workshop about growing food, nutrition or other subject is accompanied with a nice lunch produced by the café form produce grown on the farm.
Setting up and running events and exhibitions.
Renting of facilities for externally run training events, meetings and other uses
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17.0 Local Context
The research and information collected from other sites, proved that each project adapts to its surroundings and input from the groups who work there. For instance the ‘Skip Garden’ in Kings Cross, London is developing its own connection to the private sector, creating a successful working partnership, especially with the corporate Guardian Newspaper group, who are situated in easy walking distance from the garden. They send staff to attend courses at the skip garden relating to growing or preparing and cooking food. This in turn allows the garden to charge for this service allowing them to be sustainable.
In contrast to the Skip Garden, Incredible Edible in Todmerdon concentrated on getting the whole town involved with growing vegetables. Very little investment was needed to set this up as it relied on a few people who worked tirelessly in encouraging volunteers to grow on any waste land. It has now exploded into a global phenomenon with towns and cities from around the world signing up as ‘Incredible Edible’ towns.
Looking inwardly at Hull, the city has a fantastic heritage of fishing, farming and horticulture. However, whilst the fishing industry is reflected in the Maritime Museum and connection with the sea is explored in other way in ‘The Deep’, farming and horticulture are not well represented.
Farming used to be an integral part of the city economy, boasting a busy livestock market in the centre of as well as flour mills. Arthur Rank was once the largest flour miller in UK, with the now desolate mill still standing on Clarence Street.
The neighbouring countryside has experienced a significant change to rival the city scape with the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds, the Holderness Plain and the Humberhead levels now dominated by arable farming with low employment levels and access to land restricted only to the most wealthy estates. The area of Sunk Island is classed as some of the best soil worldwide due to being reclaimed from the Humber over the past 100 years.
Village life has suffered, an example would be the parish of East Garton, between Hornsea and Withernsea. In the 1960’s 25 farms existed with approx. 250 people connected to those farms who worked on them and socially got involved with village life, ensuring that fete’s, cricket matches, harvest festivals etc... were a success. More importantly as a community it looked after those who were disadvantaged in some way.
That same parish as of 2013 now has 3 farms, with 7 people directly involved with farming. Only two dairy farms now exist in the whole Holderness region. Arable farming has evolved into a very lonely profession with very often one man managing and working 1000 acres.
Once a thriving industry benefitting from the high quality soils, horticulture enterprises in the area have also seen a decline with possibly only one market garden left in the Hull region. Those who have survived have specialised into mono growing, directly selling to the supermarkets. An example would be Keyingham were the majority of glass house growing, specialises in producing strawberries all year round.
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Many Dutch families moved into Hull in the 1930’s bringing with them new growing techniques and developing new technology especially in glasshouse design. Sadly this is not part of Hull life now. Humber Street was once a thriving market of local produce, now moved to Priory Park where it is now difficult to find anything grown in the UK.
We have a large part of the Hull economy dependant on the processed food industry. In Yorkshire there are 15,000 food companies with a workforce of 48,000. However, the production of fresh food is almost gone.
Waste is becoming a major issue, Tesco have only just revealed that they wasted 30,000 tonnes of food over a six month period. The UK food industry wasted, last year, 2012 68% of all bagged salad, we as consumers wasted 35% of that figure.
Austerity in Hull, as in many other cities is a growing problem. It has been documented that 2600 people in Hull rely on food banks. Yet Obesity in the UK seems to be more of a problem than hunger. Yet in the past, local communities were more resilient to food poverty. There was greater access to land (Cahill 2002) and the ability to grow your own, both vegetables and meat, and access to wild food from foraging and trapping. This personal resilience also provided goods to trade. Such resilience has been lost with the disconnection from land.
A city centre farm has the potential to reflect this local heritage and to provide people with some of the lost skills of resilience at an individual level and at a community level through providing access to a small area of land, to develop skills in growing and cooking and build community cohesion. This knowledge could then be transferred back to the communities and support home growing and neighbourly support networks. The Farm could also provide a signposting service to other projects, formal education and training towards a career in horticulture, agriculture and the food industry.
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18.0 Conclusions
Our research has shown that a City Farm Project would be welcomed by diverse groups across all areas of the City and there is clear evidence supporting the social, environmental and economic benefits that it would bring.
We recognise the significant difficulties in identifying available land for such a project, particularly of a permanent nature. For this reason we have considered how a City Farm project could be designed for ‘meanwhile’ use, i.e. that can be moved from time to time using vacant development sites between the end of lifecycle of one building and the creation of a new one. This approach is not new and, as we have discussed, there are a number of similar growing project using this approach.
Our review of projects both in the UK and abroad identify some common themes, a key theme being projects responses to financial sustainability. In response to this problem we have suggest that the project trades in a range of goods and services there by creating a diverse and resilient income stream with specific projects and capital investment supported by grants from public, charitable and private sector.
Another challenge we can see is how to create a City Farm that is welcome to all from whatever part of the city or community visitors and participants may be from. We have anecdotal evidence from interviews carried out with local actors on how the city is divided both east west but also community by community. This is not an unusual situation for a city and we have identified that locating the Farm away from a residential area will help reduce barriers to participation through locating the project in neutral space.
Services for marginalised communities are often located on the margins, reinforcing there position in society as on the edge. When these services are provided within the community itself they may be, by the fact of being part of the physical infrastructure of a poor neighbourhood, housed in low quality or poorly maintained buildings. This does nothing to raise the aspirations of those most in need of a higher horizon. In addition, our experience of working in this type of community shows that young people often have expectations that they will stay in those communities for life and that they have difficultly relating to a world beyond (they have low mobility), particularly a world of success and high aspiration. In choosing such a location in an area of aspiration for the project, it will challenge participant’s perspectives in a supportive environment. In this way the project and those that participate with it will be seen to be a valued part of the city. Such an approach has other benefits. For example, by being cheek by jowl with glass office towers, staff at the Kings Cross Skip Garden identified how the project gave implicit permission for the participants to talk to, work with and learn from visitors from more affluent backgrounds. This approach broke down barriers and allowed participants to realise that they were all just people like them, thus making the prospect of looking outside ones local community less daunting. Being located in the City also opens up additional markets for trading in goods and services that will improve the projects sustainability.
For the reasons given above, we feel that the location of city farm must be in the heart of the regenerating city, amongst high aspiration: Somewhere people want to be. Page 97 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 38
There are a number of challenges to setting up a project of this type, not least the laws and regulations surrounding such projects. Whilst onerous, these are not insurmountable as is testament to the many city farms, community gardens and growing projects throughout the UK. However, a new city farm will require the support of well qualified people with experience in delivery this type of project. With the support of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, the right local support and staff, there is a greater chance of securing external funds for both infrastructure and ongoing revenue cost.
Finally, Hull has a strong heritage in agriculture that is not well represented in the city heritage provision. A city farm would redress this balance providing a visitor attraction element to its service and increase it sustainability. Situating the city farm close to other heritage/education facilities such as the museums would bring additional benefits to the farms target audience as they would be more likely to visit these other sites as part of a full day of activities and vice versa. In locating the farm in an area that does not require walking through the key retail development of the city, visitors will also be more likely to visit the farm and to take their children to visit the museums without fear of peer pressure to spend money, an important consideration for hard up families.
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19.0 Recommendations
We recommend that:
1. The location of a city farm must be in the heart of the regenerating city, amongst high aspiration: somewhere people want to be
2. The farm is sufficiently remote from a community territory so as not to create barriers to participation
3. The Farm is set up as an independent enterprise that can work across all sectors and areas of the community without political or territorial barriers.
4. The farm links to related activities across the city, for some acting as an important hub
5. The farm delivers trade in goods and services to ensure a diverse income stream
6. A further consultation event takes place with local business to gather support and sponsorship
7. Owners of appropriate sites are lobbied to make land accessible in the right locations
8. Food, Health and Nutrition and its impact on the personal economy should be at the heart of the project and its outcomes
9. The environment and sustainability should be factored in to design and methods
10. The target audience should be a balance between marginalised communities and with partnership with business and education to raise aspirations
11. The long term aspiration should be for a permanent farm in the centre of the City.
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Appendix 1 – Record of Stakeholder Meetings
Open Day event at Arthur Street Trading (Organic) in conjunction with Food 4 Hull
Saturday 30 th November 2013, Jubilee Church, Walton Street, Hull
Approximately 45 people attended
An event arranged to introduce customers of Arthur St Trading, to those associated with the business as well as community groups.
I attended to support Arthur Street trading, expecting to spend ten to fifteen minutes there. However I was asked to give a short presentation of the proposed box farm. It eventually became a question and answer session with many people pledging their support.
In particular 5 people have asked to be kept informed and would like to be involved in some way
Richard Smith, Lorna Walker, Sabine Bieli (from Germany who gave a connection to a growing site in the centre of Berlin) Tom Hazeldine from Reeds Hotel, south of the river, Tendercare from Barton on Humber.
‘A Growing Legacy’ Workshop’ on Local Food, Global Food, organised by Black Environment Network (BEN) with The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens
Tuesday 3 rd December 2013 at Orchard Centre, Hull
Approximately 30 people attending
A workshop to discuss more involvement with the many ethnic groups in Hull, especially in regard to growing food and dealing with the issue of waste and recycling.
A presentation was given on the box farm followed by a workshop to see how the black and ethnic groups could get involved with the farm.
A very positive discussion proceeded, especially in regard to the City of Culture status. The box farm would be ideal as a site to demonstrate the different cultures to include growing and the cooking of food.
The social aspect was targeted as a priority, to be able to grow veg and salads together, then to eat together, has been proven to break down barriers. This fact was treated with enthusiasm, with discussion leading to the possibility of each ethnic group being able to prepare and cook food and share use of container space.
There was also importance placed on artistic involvement so the box farm would be a site pleasing to look at and encourage people who visit to look at the whole aspect of food in a different light!
From this was a unanimous support in the site being innovative and impressive, a place which Hull could be proud of.
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Finally emphasis was discussed in regard to ‘making money go further’ the concern was that a commercial interest would not overtake the community involvement. There is a need for showing how tasty, nutritious food can be available to anyone not just those with money.
Eight pledge forms were collected.
Stakeholder views captured on the Rooted in Hull City Farm Consultation Event
28 th November 2013
Approximately 40 people in attendance
Feedback from discussion groups
Table 1
• High Quality Design to attract visitors • Skills Exchange • Farm Animals to demonstrate correct farming practice. • Hub and Spur • Celebrate Water Heritage, possible barge.
Table 2
• Barges, one capable of fitting wheels to move around the city especially in museum quarter, to celebrate our industrial heritage. • Farm to become a centre of excellence acting as a hub, leading out as spokes to schools colleges etc. To work with teachers ensuring fitting in with curriculum. • Community, allotment market on the farm to sell produce at realistic, affordable prices, incl. arts and crafts.
Table 3
• Prefer permanent site, to plant according to organic and permaculture principles. • Partnership working with interested groups. • To promote wildlife principles.
Table 4
• Visitor attraction building on the city of culture bid. • Training with colleges, interactive learning. • Café with home grown food. • Nature trail
Table 5
• Introduce other cultural growing techniques. • Take ownership of project hub. • Private sector who are involved in food, get them on board for investment.
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Table 6
• Livestock element as an educational agenda. • Concerned at this consultation amounting to ‘nothing.’ • Organic production and an environmental component.
Consultation Event Tablecloth Notes Analysis
Summary report.
Using NVivo Data Analysis tool, the comments captured on the tablecloths during the Consultation event on 28 th November 2013 were sorted into themes. Table 1 below highlight the themes identified and the number of occasions they were raised by participants.
This analysis indicates that the participants at the event felt most strongly about:
• Training and education, 35 recorded comments • Business approach, 34 recorded comments • Partnership, 30 recorded comments • Methods of Delivery, 25 recorded comments • Inclusion of Livestock, 15 recorded comments • Wildlife and the environment, 13 recorded comments
Table 1
Theme Number of Occasions Business approach 34 Centre of Excellence 2 Events 7 Health related activities 3 Hub 8 Innovation in design 7 Livestock 15 Location 4 Methods 25 Partnership 30 Social issues 8 Support 1 Training and Education 35 Volunteering 3 Waste and recycling 2 Wildlife and the Environment 13
The section below highlights key issues raised in each of the six themes identified above
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28 th November 2013 Consultation event signing in sheet
Name Organisation
Danny Phelps @ the edge project c/o Community Karen Taylor Enterprise Centre Sue Alvis Amazing Play Paul Hanson Arthur St Trading Les Howell Avocet Trust Dawda Jetta BAMEEN Sam Chegwin CASE Lesley Bellerby Densholme Community Care Farm Jan Boyd Environmental Management Systems Sharon Clay Facilitator Iain Atkinson Facilitator Adrian Fisher Facilitator Mark Cleaver Facilitator Mick Marston Facilitator Helen Kay Facilitator Denise Smedley Facilitator Pippa Robson Facilitator NBF Claire Hancock Facilitator NBF Lee-Ann Williams Food4Hull Simon Merritt Greener Neighbourhoods HULL Michelle Watson Hessle Road Network Kate McDonald Hull and East Riding Timebank Name Organisation Cllr Andy Dorton Hull City Council Dave Shepherdson Hull City Council Claire Farrow Hull City Council (Public Health) Cllr John Hewitt Hull City Council Hull City Council (Youth Development Liz Woolmington Service) Karen Kelleher Hull City Council (Youth Development
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Service) David Longthorn Hull Friends of the Earth Katie McMaster Humbercare Shaun Turner ICT Club leader Natalie Hill Minerva Project Brenda Elm Newland Allotments Kim Hepple Pet Respect Marina Hartley Pet Respect Places for People Lynne Jackson
Jeannie Webster Rainbow Community Garden Andy Paxton SEARCH Ian Jakulis The Conservation Volunteers The Green Estate Project / Thornton Urban Patrick Burchfield Gardeners Helen Rhodes Third Sector Solutions Karen Hamshaw-Hart Thomas Ferens Academy Lausanne Tranter Transition Hull Mick Marston UK Federation of City Farms James Hartwell Unity in Community Jennifer Nielson University of Hull Harriet Linfoot Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Glin Clixby Citysafe Andy Steel EMS Karen Tozer Groundwork Mr Cooper
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A pledge to support the City Farm - Responses to the Consultation event on 28 th November 2013
I/my organisation think that a city farm in Hull would be an asset to the city and would like to be involved by
Name Organisation Activity – Key to numbers below 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Andy Steele EMS Green X X X X Prosperity Kate Timebank X X X X X X X X X X X X X Macdonald D. Longthorn Hull FOE X David Hull City X X X Shepherdson Council Sam Chegwin CASE X X X X X X X X X Harriet Linfort Yorkshire X X X X X X X X X X X Wildlife Trust James Hartwell Unity in X X X X Community Helen Rhodes Third Sector X X Solutions Jenifer Neilson University of X Hull David Pearson University of X Hull/York Medical School Ian Jakulis TCV X X X X Sue Alvis Amazing Play X Lesley Bellerby Densholm Care X Farm Pat Burchfield Goodwin X X X X X X X Development Trust Natalie Hill Minerva X X X X X X X Project Katie X X X X X X X X X McMaster Laurance Transition Hull X X X X X X X X X Tranter Jeannie Rainbow X X X X X Webster Community Garden Brenda Elm Newland X X X X X Allotment Association Barry Cooper Welwyn X X X X X X X Consultancy Karen Taylor @the edge X X Andy Paxton Search –Living X X X X X X X Better for Less Mark Smith Case training X X X X X X X X X X X X Page 105 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 46
Services Zakria Sudanese X X X X X X X X X X Mohamed Community F Siegers Refugee X X X X X X X X X X X Council Arsene Dr Congo X X X X X Katumba Raj.S.Ghuman Sikh Temple X X X Ahmed Ikweem Sudanese X X X X X X Community Tuyeh Dafur X X X Mohammed Dawada Jatta Bameem X X X X X X Michelle Hessel Road X Watson Network Kelly Kelleher Youth X X X X Development Service Jan Boyd EMS Ltd X X X X X Lee Ann Food 4 Hull X X X X X X X X X X X X X Williams Paul Hanson Arthur Street X X X X X X Traders Totals 16 13 9 8 12 18 15 15 17 24 15 14 12 9
Key to Activities
1. Learning about vegetables and how to grow them 2. Learning about meat and how it is produced 3. Buying produce 4. Selling produce – please give details below 5. Using a café 6. Volunteering 7. Contributing staff time 8. Delivering training 9. Receiving training 10. Attending events around food issues 11. Food markets 12. Food related competitions 13. Using the venue to run own events/activities or hold meetings 14. Other
* Boxes highlighted in black indicate forms that did not have option 13
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Comments collected from pledge forms
‘Planting Wild Fruit trees and raising awareness of’
‘Cooperative – locally run’
‘Access by staff and service users with learning disabilities, may be able to support with gardening work’
‘Teacher training centre – Project [centre?] of Excellence’
‘TCV…. coordination of volunteers, events, projects etc…..’
‘Promoting community gardens that exist within local communities’
‘city map that locates local projects and details - well produced into leaflet’
‘Link as a rural care farm to a city centre one’
‘Organic Produce’
Use as rehabilitation, learning and community spirits’
‘Would like to see introduction of permaculture principles and design into project’
‘Involving volunteers, creating wildlife areas’
‘Skill share’
‘Food Safety, Health and Safety and training’
‘involving medical student in health outreach work with hard to reach populations’
‘anything creative/out of the ordinary/visionary/exciting’
‘love the city farm idea’
‘international celebration; exchanging international growing cultures and cooking’
‘I’d like to know more about fast food and health’
‘the Sikh Temple cooks food every week for the community and would buy produce on a regular basis, city farm is a fantastic idea’
‘We would like to run a small café/shop buying and selling produce from the farm and other local produce. I also have experience of growing to share and for training’
‘Hub for food related issues. Selling of Produce –Food4Hull support sustainable food production in Hull (+surrounding area) + would want to help ensure access to food in café/shop (eg Arthers)’
‘working with young people, being able to come along, share skills and be inspired’
‘supporting y/p to become involved in feasibility study and city farm when up and running, not all y/p attend school so would not necessarily become involved via that route. We could support disengaged young people & encourage them to become involved’ Page 107 of 116 A City Farm for Hull: Feasibility Study, December 2013 48
Appendix 2 – Learning and Design photographs
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Appendix 3 – References
Cahill K (2002) Who Owns Britain: the hidden facts behind land ownership in the UK and Ireland. Canongate Books, Edinburgh.
Gross, N (2007) ‘Pragmatism, phenomenology and twentieth century American sociology’, in C. Calhoun (ed.), Sociology in America: a History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 183–224.
Hale, J,, Knapp, C., Bardwell, L., Buchenau, M., Marshall, J., Sancar, F., Litt, J. (2011) “Connecting food environments and health through the relational nature of aesthetics: Gaining insight through the community gardening experience”. Social Science & Medicine. 72(11). 1853–1863.
Leck C (2013) The Impact of Care Farming in the UK, PhD Thesis, The University of Worcester.
Mind (2013) Feel better outside, feel better inside: Ecotherapy for mental wellbeing, resilience and recovery. A briefing for Health and Wellbeing Board Chairs. http://www.mind.org.uk/media/399857/Ecotherapy-briefing-health-wellbeing-boards.pdf
Nicol R et al, (2007) Outdoor education in Scotland: A summary of recent research, Scottish National Heritage
Quayle H (2007) The true value of community farms and gardens: social, environmental, health and economic. Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/component/content/918/247-true-value-of-community-farms-and- gardens Smit, J., A. Ratta, and J. Nasr. (2001). Urban Agriculture: Food, Jobs, and Sustainable Cities. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York, NY. http://jacsmit.com/book.html
Varley-Winter O (2011)Roots to work: Developing employability through community food-growing and urban agriculture projects, Summary report. City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development, London http://www.skillsdevelopment.org/pdf/Urban-agriculture-research-summary-report.pdf
Hine R, Peacock J and Pretty J (2008) Care farming in the UK: Evidence and Opportunities. Report for the National Care Farming Initiative (UK. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex http://www.carefarminguk.org/sites/carefarminguk.org/files/Care%20Farming%20in%20the%20UK %20-%20Essex%20Uni%20Report.pdf
Bragg, R. (2013a) Care farming in the UK – Key Facts and Figures. Summary report for Natural England. Colchester, University of Essex.
Cardiff Metropolitan University Press release (2013) Cardiff Met’s gardening research unearths encouraging results for wellbeing in later life. http://www3.cardiffmet.ac.uk/English/News/Pages/CardiffMetsgardeningresearchunearthsencoura gingresultsforwellbeinginlaterlife.aspx
Adam James (2012) How Urban Farming Can Transform Our Cities — And Our Agricultural System. Think Progress, online journal.
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http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/05/29/491271/how-urban-farming-can-transform-our-cities- and-our-agricultural-system/
Information on Contaminated Land
North West Food and Health Taskforce (2002) GROWING FOOD - HOW SAFE IS YOUR LAND? How to Assess and Deal with Potential Land Contamination: Guidance for Communities and Individuals Involved in Food Growing. Centre for Public Health. Liverpool.
Yorkshire and Humberside Pollution Advisory Council (2012) Development on Land Affected by Contamination: Technical Guidance for Developers, Landowners and Consultants.
Yorkshire and Humberside Pollution Advisory Council (2013) VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR COVER SYSTEMS: Technical Guidance for Developers, Landowners and Consultants.
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Head Office: The GreenHouse, Hereford Street, Bristol BS3 4NA
Tel: 0117 923 1800 Fax: 0117 923 1900 e-mail: [email protected]
Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales www.farmgarden.org.uk Charity Number 294494 Company Number 2011023
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